Clean Steel Partnership: an EU partnership for the sustainable production of clean steel
In order to accelerate the transition towards a carbon neutral European steel industry, the European Commission has launched the Clean Steel Partnership (CSP). The aim of the partnership is to help facilitate the reduction of CO2 emissions originating from steel production through the funding of research, development and innovation (R&D&I) projects. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed just a few weeks ago by Commission officials and representatives of the European steel industry. Together with the European Steel Technology Platform (ESTEP) the Commission produced a proposal and roadmap for the Horizon Europe programme in July 2020 which are now being brought in effect.
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Importance of the Clean Steel Partnership
EUROFER Director General Axel Eggert, referred to the signing of the agreement as ‘a great day for Europe and the European steel industry’. Through the EU Clean Steel Partnership the Commission not only acknowledges the central importance of European steel in the history of European Integration, dating back to collaboration in coal and steel, or the present-day socio-economic role of steel, but also paves the way to integrate European steel into a vision of a circular, autonomous and sustainable Union.
Funding opportunities
Part of that vision is the ambition to cut CO2 emissions from steel production by 80-95% by 2050 and a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Actions that pilot and demonstrate breakthrough technologies will be the focal point of the CSP. This particularly includes CDA, SCU-CCUS and SCU-PI technologies and relevant contributions to climate neutrality, the circular economy and the global competitiveness of European steel.
The Commission is especially interested in the potential of projects to serve as catalyzers of change for other strategic sectors, such as enabling know-how spill overs to other value chains and industries. This will also require collaboration between Member States and Associated Countries, as well as with other EU based Partnerships and programmes.
Clean Steel Partnership calls
There are currently eight calls for proposals published for grants under the CSP. These are listed below along with some – but not all – relevant indicators of these calls. The published calls can also be found here.
- Improvement of the yield of the iron and steel making; innovation actions targeted at the recycling rate of steel making residues, high quality scrap grades or developing technologies to help standardization of charge managing practice through onsite characterization of ferrous materials.
- Carbon Direct Avoidance in steel: Electricity and hydrogen-based metallurgy; innovation actions targeted at the integration, resource efficiency and utilization of renewable energy sources, for example through demonstrations.
- Adjustment of Steel process production to prepare for the transition towards climate neutrality; innovation actions targeted at reducing carbon footprints through hydrogen and biomass as reducing agents, improving materials and energy flows or new technologies for the reutilization of metallurgical gases.
- RFCS-2021 Steel Accompanying Measures; RFCS-2021 Steel Research Projects; RFCS-2021 Steel Pilot and Demonstration Projects; project grants for new and improved steelmaking and finishing techniques, RTD and the utilisation of steel or conserving resources and improving working conditions.
- Raw material preparation for clean steel production; innovation actions targeted at technologies related to upgrading the use of low-quality iron ore as well as technological contributions to reducing impurities in post-consumer scrap and valorizing low-quality scrap streams.
- Modular and hybrid heating technologies in steel production; innovation actions targeted at modular heating technologies, hybrid heating, integration of fuel cells, increased use of non-fossil energy in downstream processes or integrating fuel cells of alternative coal-based products for non-fossil coke.
More information?
Does your project idea align with European ambitions and does it require financial assistance for its R&D&I? Or do you want to gain a more complete insight in how your organization could become more innovative through the European CSP? Reach out to one of the specialists from Hezelburcht for more information!
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