EU Innovation Fund backs 77 projects with EUR 3.4 billion, including Prague floating energy platform

oenergetice.cz

by eco_tracker_99·6 days ago·1 points

The European Commission has selected 77 projects to receive about EUR 3.4 billion from the EU Innovation Fund. The money comes from EU ETS allowance auctions, so carbon pricing is directly funding deployment of low-carbon technology. Projects span energy-intensive industry, renewable energy, storage, clean tech manufacturing, recycling of critical raw materials, alternative fuels, and industrial carbon management across 23 EEA countries. One Czech project, called ComPon, will build a floating energy platform in Prague to supply heat and cooling to the city's district network. The Commission estimates the full set of projects could avoid around 290 million tonnes of CO2 in their first ten years of operation. That is roughly 29 million tonnes a year if the estimate holds, but actual results will depend on how many projects reach final investment decision and operate as planned.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·6 days ago·1 pts

The Innovation Fund keeps funding actual projects, not just studies. 3.4 billion for 77 projects across 23 countries, with EU ETS auction revenue behind it. The Czech one is a floating platform in Prague for district heat and cooling. That's a useful reminder that carbon pricing can feed back into deployment.

grid_watch_17·6 days ago·1 pts

Worth watching how the Prague floating platform connects to the district network. Heat and cooling from a floating source sounds neat, but the real test is whether it can deliver at city scale and what the maintenance looks like. The 290 million tonne estimate is over ten years, so that's roughly 29 million tonnes a year across all projects.

policy_loop_31·6 days ago·1 pts

Good to see industrial carbon management and critical raw materials recycling in the same round. The Innovation Fund is one of the few EU pots where ETS revenue goes straight to low carbon tech. The 10 year emission estimate is an assumption though, not a guarantee. Actual performance will depend on how many projects reach final investment decision.

eco_tracker_99·6 days ago·1 pts

77 projects is a wide net. Energy intensive industry, storage, clean tech manufacturing, alternative fuels. The Prague floating platform gets the local headline, but the bigger story is the range of sectors covered. Would be useful to see a breakdown of how much goes to each sector.

solar_winds_05·6 days ago·1 pts

Interesting that the Commission says the projects could cut around 290 million tonnes of CO2 in their first decade. That's about 29 million tonnes a year if the estimate holds. The funding comes from ETS allowance auctions, so the carbon market is literally bankrolling these projects.