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Call key data

Renewable Energy Valleys to increase energy security while accelerating the green transition in Europe

Funding ProgramHorizon Europe - Cluster 5 - Destination 3: Sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply
Call numberHORIZON-CL5-2023-D3-01-01
deadlinesOpening
13.12.2022		Deadline
30.03.2023 17:00
Funding rate70% (NPO:100%)
Call budget € 40,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project€ 20,000,000.00
Link to the callec.europa.eu
Link to the submissionec.europa.eu

Call content

short description

Renewable energy valleys are understood as decentralised renewable energy systems that offer a viable and efficient solution. For example, local production and consumption, reduced transmission and distribution losses thanks to the reliance on local networks for energy needs, greater operational flexibility and reduced dependence on expensive fuel imports all contribute to a higher energy autonomy, a more secure supply, and lower, more stable overall energy costs, including for individual citizens. In addition, this alleviates a part of the load on the centralised grid and avoids blockages by the capacity of the grid.

Call objectives

The EU energy system strongly relies on centralised electricity generation and on fuel imports, with 95% of its oil and 84% of its gas consumption sourced from outside the EU. The REPowerEU Plan proposes a set of actions to reduce the EU’s dependence on fossil fuels and diversify its energy supply ‘well before 2030’. The three pillars of the plan are to ramp up the production of green energy, diversify our energy supplies, and reduce our demand for fossil gas, coal and oil.

Proposals are expected to address the following aspects:

  • Creation of a renewable energy valley ‘living lab’ in local, peri-urban or regional communities that demonstrates in real life conditions the sustainable and cost-effective production and storage of renewable energy from different local renewable energy sources providing multiple renewable energy carriers (e.g., electricity, heat, renewable fuels, bio-methane, biogas, hydrogen), fully covering the local energy needs on an annual basis.
  • Consideration of different potentials in terms of geography, climate and natural resources in the concept design.
  • Consideration of different end users (e.g. buildings, mobility, industry, industrial parks) of the multiple renewable energy carriers.
  • Reduction of energy use and energy losses through the integration of effective and innovative energy-efficient solutions.
  • Development and testing of a digital twin of the specific local energy grid for all types of energy carriers (i.e., electricity, heat, fuels including gases) for operational analysis, detailed energy forecasting and local grid management.
  • Scenario analysis using the digital twin to constantly improve multiple carrier grid management, planning, data gathering/handling and cyber security.
  • Development of cost-effective upscaling and commercialisation approaches of the solutions, linked to robust business models along the value chains, considering inclusive and affordable access to energy for consumers. This can include collaborative ventures with local stakeholders.
  • Regarding the development of the renewable energy technologies value chains, fostering the participation of the local industry and other stakeholders, including citizens, Energy Communities and the Energy Communities Repository as appropriate, therefore generating local jobs, skills, economic growth and benefits for citizens. As such, providing support to the participation of citizens in the design, implementation and exploitation of renewable energy, in order to increase acceptability. Where applicable, synergies with other economic sectors than the energy sector may be considered.
  • Regarding the local or regional renewable energy system developed, assessment of its stability, robustness, and fitness to the local resources and needs, including understanding consumer behaviour.
  • Assessment of costs avoidance from fossil fuels imports in line with REPowerEU to decrease the dependence on such imports.
  • Assessment - both at the design phase and during operation - of environmental and socio-economic impacts (positive and negative) for the local community or region, and development of measures to mitigate the negative impacts.

The renewable energy valleys can take diverse configurations, such as peri-urban settings, (agro-) industrial clusters or remote or islanded areas. They can also take the form of either distinct but combined systems or unique poly-generation systems (i.e., in the same infrastructure) to deliver multiple energy carriers from combined renewable energy resources and technologies.

The proposal should indicate how the operation and maintenance of the living lab will be guaranteed after the end of the project.

Technological developments for hydrogen production and storage are addressed in the frame of the Clean Hydrogen European Partnership and are therefore excluded from this call, but proposals may include the integration of such devices in the demonstration.

Proposals are expected to foresee coordination and collaboration with similar EU-funded projects (in particular, those that will be funded under this topic) for policy relevant issues such as regulatory framework, business models and obstacles to innovation.

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Expected results
  • Contribute to the implementation of the REPowerEU Plan, in particular to i) diversify gas supplies via higher levels of sustainable bio-methane (mainly based on organic waste and agricultural residues) and green hydrogen, and ii) speed up Europe’s path to independence from fossil fuels by increasing the share of renewable energy (electricity, heat and fuels) in the European energy consumption.
  • Increase the roll-out of local or regional renewable energy system solutions for electricity, heat and fuel needs and contribute to their market up-take in Europe.
  • Create new sustainable jobs linked to local or regional renewable energy system value chains and enhance economic growth in local or regional European communities.
  • Enhance security and autonomy of local or regional energy supply in EU Member States/Associated countries in current and future climate conditions.
  • Increase the readiness, reliability, performance and affordability of local or regional renewable energy system solutions in Europe.

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Regions / countries for fundingEU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT)
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Island (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entitiesEU Body, Education and training institution, International organization, Natural Person, 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 partnershipYes
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
  • the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
  • third countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries

Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:

  • at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
  • at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.

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.

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 conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call 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 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.
other eligibility criteria

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 7-8 by the end of the project.

For the Technology Readiness Level (TRL), the following definitions apply:

  • TRL 1 — Basic principles observed
  • TRL 2 — Technology concept formulated
  • TRL 3 — Experimental proof of concept
  • TRL 4 — Technology validated in a lab
  • TRL 5 — Technology validated in a relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)
  • TRL 6 — Technology demonstrated in a relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)
  • TRL 7 — System prototype demonstration in an operational environment
  • TRL 8 — System complete and qualified
  • TRL 9 — Actual system proven in an operational environment (competitive manufacturing in the case of key enabling technologies, or in space)
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).

Additional information

Topics
Circular Economy, Natural Resources, 
Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy
Relevance for EU Macro-RegionEUSAIR - 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

All proposals 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.

Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc.

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 45 pages.

Call documents HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 5, Destination 3 (1046kB)
ContactNational Contact Points for Horizon Europe
Website

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