On the 15^th of May, a new call for proposals will be opened under the H2020 Secure, clean and efficient energy Work Programme, the LC-SC3-CC-6-2018: Transition in coal intensive regions, which is part of the focus area “Building a low carbon, climate resilient future”.

The Energy Union, one of the ten priorities of the Juncker Commission, is the EU’s major vector and contribution to a global transition to a climate–neutral economy. The huge majority of activities included in Secure, clean and efficient energy work programme part contribute to the focus area “Building a low-carbon, climate resilient future”, whose objective is to stimulate the development of solutions capable of achieving carbon neutrality and climate resilience. Therefore, research and innovation within this focus area underpins the goals of the Paris Agreement, the “Clean Energy for all European” package, including the Communication “Accelerating Clean Energy Innovation” and the SET-Plan priorities, with concrete R&I actions focusing on the accelerated transformation of the energy system, and other sectors, towards carbon neutrality and climate resilience.

The call in details

The implementation of the EU Energy Union transition towards a low–carbon economy poses significant technological, economic and social challenges, in particular for coal–intensive regions that have to prepare for the reduction or phasing–out of coal production, both due to market–driven trends and environmental policies. These regions need an effective roadmap to make the necessary transition to a more diversified economic base and a more sustainable energy system, while safeguarding the social cohesion for communities and regions dependent on the coal production. The objective of the call is to support European coal–intensive regions to design research and innovation strategies to facilitate their transition towards a sustainable energy system. The involvement of the private sector, researchers and local governments in the process of “entrepreneurial discovery” is a key challenge in itself. The proposed action will assist policy makers to develop, implement and review their strategies by providing information, developing methodologies, expertise and advices.

Specific issues to be addressed include:

• To assist regional actors in developing Research and Innovation strategies for smart specialisation, including the development of public R&I capacities, consistent with the SET Plan;
• To investigate relevant social challenges including the re–skilling needs of the workforce;
• To identify and exchange best practices, including industrial roadmaps from coal towards new technologies and transformation strategies for coal based combined heat and power production to low carbon electricity and district heating generation;
• To guide regional actors for the access to available European funds and programmes, such as the combination of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), Cohesion Policy funds and Horizon 2020, and leveraging additional national public and private co-financing.

The project should develop synergies and complementarities to the European Commission’s Smart Specialisation Platform on Energy (S3PEnergy), which contributes the EU energy policy priorities by facilitating partnerships between EU regions that have identified renewable energy technologies and innovative energy solutions as their smart specialisation priorities and promotes alignment between local, regional, national and European activities on energy sustainability, competitiveness and security of supply.

The type of action is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA), consisting primarily in measures such as standardisation, dissemination, awareness–raising and communication, networking, coordination or support services, policy dialogues and mutual learning exercises and studies. The expected impact of the action is to lead to a new and deep cooperation in R&I between coal intensive regions that will facilitate their transition to a more sustainable energy system. This cooperation should contribute, in the short to medium term, to reach the targets set in the SET Plan and stimulate investment in the low–carbon energy sector, with the long term aim at boosting innovation–driven growth and industrial competitiveness, creating opportunities for the employment, meeting the COP21 targets and safeguarding environmental protection.

A contribution from the EU of between 1 and 2 million euros would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. The funding rate is 100%.

The deadline for submission is on the 6^th of September 2018.

Further information are available at the following link.