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Safety of renewable low and zero-carbon waterborne fuels in port areas: risk assessment, regulatory framework, and guidelines for safe bunkering, handling and storage (ZEWT partnership)
Funding Program
Horizon Europe: Cluster 5 - Climate, Energy and Mobility
Call number
HORIZON-CL5-2026-05-D5-13
deadlines
Opening
18.12.2025
Deadline
14.04.2026 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 2,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 2,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
The rapid transition to low and zero-carbon solutions in maritime and inland waterborne transport requires port authorities and stakeholders to swiftly adapt to supply large quantities of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels and electricity. However, this shift poses new safety challenges, particularly in port areas where multiple bunkering operations, import/export terminals, and fuel handling and storage activities coexist.
Call objectives
The rapid transition to low and zero-carbon solutions in maritime and inland waterborne transport requires port authorities and stakeholders to swiftly adapt to supply large quantities of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels and electricity. However, this shift poses new safety challenges, particularly in port areas where multiple bunkering operations, import/export terminals, and fuel handling and storage activities coexist. The close location of most ports to cities and inhabited areas raises issues of safety on two fronts: the space deficit due to the difficulty of enlarging the port areas in these locations, (leading to e.g. the storage of various fuels in close proximity), and the broader danger to these inhabited areas due to their proximity to the ports and by extension the storage of these fuels. To ensure a safe and efficient energy transition, it is crucial to assess and mitigate the risks associated with the introduction of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels in port areas. As not all ports will be able to store every type of clean fuel in the port or neighbouring area, safety of transport and distribution within the port area (including anchorage) should also be analysed.
Existing EU legislation regarding specifically the safety of port workers is limited. The Directive on the safe loading and unloading of bulk carriers (2001/96/EC) sets out the EU requirements which increase safety procedures for bulk carriers loading and unloading their solid cargo in EU ports. Further instruments such as the Directive on port State control (2009/16/EC) and the Directive on the investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector (2009/18/EC, recently amended), while related to safety in the maritime sector, do not apply to the safety of port workers specifically. Broader instruments such as the EU Occupational Safety and Health Framework Directive (89/391/EEC) and the Directive on the Minimum Safety and Health Requirements for the Use of Work Equipment by Workers at Work (2009/104/EC), while applicable to port workers due to their general character, miss the intricacies needed to address the specific risks of workers in this sector. This issue is further exacerbated by the fact that port workers are being exposed to new risks due to the rising use of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels in the maritime sector and the need for safe bunkering and storage of these fuels in port areas.
Given the above it is important to have a clear picture of the current status regarding the storage and bunkering of fuels across EU ports, identify existing and applicable legislation, map gaps and potential risks and make appropriate recommendations for follow-up actions.
Proposals are expected to address all the following aspects:
- Conduct a comprehensive review of the risks associated with the introduction of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels within (inland and sea) the port areas, including distribution, simultaneous bunkering operations, import/export terminals, handling and storage of fuels.
- Analyse gaps in existing regulations, standards, and guidelines relevant to the safe handling and storage of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels, in maritime and inland TEN-T ports.
- Identify safety risks not adequately addressed by current rules and risk assessments, including Hazard Identification (HAZID) and Quantitative Risk Assessments (QRA) taking into account - inter-alia - gas dispersion, fire/explosion impacts and their probabilities using F-N curves.
- Develop guidelines and recommendations to ensure safe operations (considering environmental and health aspects) per fuel type in port areas, considering varying port sizes, services (including technical-nautical vessels), locations, and geographies, especially for ports located in populated areas including establishing safety zones. International rules, standards and guidelines should be taken into consideration (especially from the IMO and the IHPA where relevant). Relevant environmental Plans required by EU or national legislation such as Air Quality Plans should be considered.
- Develop standard risk assessment criteria for groups of ports with similar characteristics, operational and weather conditions by researching and establishing standard criteria for risk assessments in port planning and development. This includes defining safety-by-design procedures for new port infrastructures and bunkering operations.
- Engage with relevant stakeholders, including port authorities, terminal operators, shipping companies, trade unions and regulatory bodies, to ensure the practicality and effectiveness of the developed guidelines and recommendations.
- Additionally, a strategy for skills development should be presented, associating social partners and civil society where relevant. This strategy should include the design and implementation of comprehensive training modules tailored to various roles within port operations, focusing on the specific safety protocols and procedures associated with renewable low and zero-carbon fuels.
- Propose certification and continuous professional development pathways to maintain high safety standards and adapt to evolving technologies and regulations.
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Expected effects and impacts
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Zero Emission Waterborne Transport’ (ZEWT). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on results to the European Partnership ‘Zero Emission Waterborne Transport’ (ZEWT) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.
Expected results
Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:
- A comprehensive risk assessment of the introduction of renewable low and zero-carbon waterborne fuels, in maritime and inland port areas.
- Improve knowledge on the risks posed by the introduction of renewable low zero-carbon fuels.
- A review of existing regulations, standards, and guidelines, for all EU Member States, with recommendations for updates, harmonisation or new regulations as needed.
- Define operational improvements required to enhance safety in storage, handling and bunkering of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels.
- Development of a strategy for skills development for port personnel and stakeholders involved in the handling, storage, and bunkering of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels, ensuring safe and efficient operations.
Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Liechtenstein, Morocco (المغرب), Norway (Norge), Switzerland (Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), United Kingdom
eligible entities
EU Body, Education and training institution, International organization, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
No
Project Partnership
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States: Aruba (NL), Bonaire (NL), Curação (NL), French Polynesia (FR), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (FR), Greenland (DK), New Caledonia (FR), Saba (NL), Saint Barthélemy (FR), Sint Eustatius (NL), Sint Maarten (NL), St. Pierre and Miquelon (FR), Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR).
- countries associated to Horizon Europe; Albania, Arab Republic of Egypt, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo28, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Republic of Korea, Serbia, Switzerland, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom. Other third countries may become associated to Horizon Europe during the programme. For the purposes of the eligibility conditions, applicants established in other third countries negotiating association to Horizon Europe will be treated as entities established in an Associated Country, if the Horizon Europe association agreement with the third country concerned applies at the time of signature of the grant agreement.
- the following low- and middle-income countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic), Congo (Republic), Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt (Arab Republic), El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic), Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (Democratic People's Republic), Kyrgyz Republic, Lao (People’s Democratic Republic), Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia (Federated States), Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Samoa, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic), Vietnam, Yemen Republic, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Legal entities which are established in countries not listed above will be eligible for funding if provided for in the specific call/topic conditions, or if their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority.
Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call/topic.
A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
Applications may be submitted by one or more legal entities, which may be established in a Member State, Associated Country or, in exceptional cases and if provided for in the specific call/topic conditions, in another third country.
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).
other eligibility criteria
Specific cases
Affiliated entities — Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
Associated partners — Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any specific call/topic conditions.
Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
EU bodies — Legal entities created under EU law including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
Joint Research Centre (‘JRC’) — Where provided for in the specific call/topic conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC, but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities (otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible).
EU restrictive measures — Entities subject to EU restrictive measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) as well as Article 75 TFEU, are not eligible to participate in any capacity, including as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any).
Legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine — Given the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the involvement of Belarus, there is currently no appropriate context allowing the implementation of the actions foreseen in this programme with legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine. Therefore, even where such entities are not subject to EU restrictive measures, such legal entities are not eligible to participate in any capacity. This includes participation as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any). Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis for justified reasons.
With specific regard to measures addressed to Russia, following the adoption of the Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1745 of 24 June 2024 (amending Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 of 31 July 2014) concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, legal entities established outside Russia whose proprietary rights are directly or indirectly owned for more than 50% by a legal person, entity or body established in Russia are also not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Measures for the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary — Following the Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506, as of 16 December 2022, no legal commitments can be entered into with Hungarian public interest trusts established under the Hungarian Act IX of 2021 or any entity they maintain. Affected entities may continue to apply to calls for proposals and can participate without receiving EU funding, as associated partners, if allowed by the call conditions. However, as long as the Council measures are not lifted, such entities are not eligible to participate in any funded role (beneficiaries, affiliated entities, subcontractors, recipients of financial support to third parties, etc.). In the case of multi-beneficiary grant calls, applicants will be invited to remove or replace that entity in any funded role and/or to change its status into associated partner. Tasks and budget may be redistributed accordingly.
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
Additional Information
Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Applications must be submitted using the forms provided inside the electronic submission system (not the templates available on the topic page, which are only for information). The structure and presentation must correspond to the instructions given in the forms.
Applications must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents.
Applications must include a plan for the exploitation and dissemination of results including communication activities, unless provided otherwise in the specific call/topic conditions. The plan is not required for applications at the first stage of two-stage procedures. If the expected exploitation of the results entails developing, creating, manufacturing and marketing a product or process, or in creating and providing a service, the plan must include a strategy for such exploitation. If the plan provides for exploitation of the results primarily in non-associated third countries, the applicants must explain how that exploitation is to be considered in the EU’s interest.
The application form will have two parts:
- Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
- Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).
The limit for a full application (Part B) is 28 pages.
The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5.
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025)
Call documents
Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027 Cluster 5 - Climate, Energy and MobilityHorizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027 Cluster 5 - Climate, Energy and Mobility(2457kB)
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