The European Commission has announced the new Energy Work Programme 2018-2020 under the EU research and innovation funding programme Horizon 2020.

The Energy Union is one of the ten priorities of the Juncker Commission and the EU’s major vector to the economic to the transition to a clean energy transition. Last November, the Commission proposed a number of measures, the ‘Clean Energy for all Europeans’ package, aimed at achieving the energy transition and modernising the European economy and thus contributing to both growth and job creation. The package pursues three overarching goals:

• energy efficiency;
• Europe as a leader in renewable;
• a fair deal to consumers.

In order to reach these ambitious goals, the Work Programme 2018-2020 has been designed to support research, demonstration, innovation and market-uptake actions across different low-carbon energy sectors. New funding opportunities for energy efficiency projects are available now in the core priorities  identified in the Energy Union Strategy:

• renewable energy;
• smart energy systems;
• energy efficiency;
• Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage

These topics are primarily addressed by the “Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy” – Societal Challenge of Horizon 2020:

• decarbonising the EU building stock by 2050;
• strengthening EU leadership on renewables;
• developing affordable and integrated energy storage solutions

In addition to the Energy Union, the Work Programme also contributes to the EU digital single market, the EU transport policy, its “Blue Growth” initiative, as well as to the EU’s research and innovation policy. This part of the Work Programme addresses research, innovation and market uptake activities in and across specific energy sectors as well as activities to maximise synergies between EU and national public support for clean energy R&I, aiming also at increasing leverage of private funding. It contributes in its entirety to the Horizon 2020 spending targets on climate action and sustainable development, addressing in particular the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The majority of activities in the work programme contribute to the area “Building a low-carbon, climate resilient future” which includes relevant activities across different work programmes aimed at to stimulatng the development of solutions capable of achieving carbon neutrality and climate resilience. Furthermore, the work programme also includes activities which contribute to the area “Connecting economic and environmental gains – the Circular Economy” and co-funds activities of the area “Digitising and transforming European industry and services” and “Boosting the effectiveness of the Security Union“.

Moreover,  the Commission pushes the acceleration of energy innovation through the Mission Innovation Initiative  which was launched at COP21. A number of specific actions has been designed to directly target increased international cooperation of EU Member States and Associated Countries in the context of Mission Innovation.

More information about the calls are available here