Skip to main content
European Research Executive Agency
News article10 May 2022European Research Executive Agency

Research Fund for Coal and Steel: Applicants request more than €90 million in EU funding from new ‘Big Ticket’ calls

The EU’s Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) has received 15 project proposals in response to the first “Big Tickets” calls for proposals. These will be held annually in addition to the traditional, annual RFCS calls.

Applicants from 14 EU countries request funding for future low-emission industries
© European Union, 2022

The RFCS provides EU funding for high quality research, pilot, and demonstration projects, which support the competitiveness, and sustainability of future low-emission industries in line with the European Green Deal.

The “Big Tickets” calls for proposals target large-scale projects, at high technology readiness levels, to support the necessary technology-to-market transitions and transformation. This will drive clean steelmaking and help with a sustainable transition of the coal regions during the phase out of coal industry, in line with the Just Transition policy.

Applicants from 14 EU countries have applied for funding under these two calls.

Clean steel-making

The first “Big Tickets” call on steel drew 9 proposals requesting €50 million in EU funding. It covers pilot, and demonstrator projects for breakthrough clean steel-making technologies, such as carbon capture use and storage, process intensification, and CO2-neutral iron ore reduction.

Just transition for coal-mining regions

The “Big Tickets” call on coal attracted 6 proposals requesting €40.7 million in EU funding. It covers pilot and demonstrators projects supporting the repurposing of closed coalmines. The call also encompasses treatment and restoration, waste and spoil treatments, energy recovery and monitoring of methane emissions and materials recycling.

Next steps

Calls for proposals closed on 3 May 2022 and the proposals will be evaluated by independent external experts in May and June 2022. The selection results will be announced in September-October 2022.

Details

Publication date
10 May 2022
Author
European Research Executive Agency