Deadline: 23-Sep-25
The European Commission (EC) has launched the call for proposals to solve issues in Carbon-Neutral Iron and Steel Making Processes with diverse input materials of varying quality (Clean Steel Partnership).
Scope
- The topic calls for collaborative approach between academia, industry (including SMEs) and research organizations with the purpose to support:
- understanding, validating, and solving essential problems to allow maturity of innovative technologies in the industrial investment panorama for future carbon-neutral iron and steel making,
- accelerating a reliable transition to climate neutrality in view of the end of the free ETS allowances by providing solutions optimized for different scenarios, and
- fulfilling the Commission Recommendation 2024/774 on a Code of Practice on industry-academia co-creation for knowledge valorisation.
- Proposals should address at least four of the following points:
- De-risk and extend operational windows of low CO2 iron- and steel making technologies considering system-level scenarios;
- Target the heterogeneity of available reductants and feedstock materials, their different physical states and the mixed use of them. In this context, the sustainability of the process to produce them should be considered, along with the requirements for various grades of purity;
- Achieve high-quality steel products characterized by increased tolerances of contents of contaminants, originating from low quality raw materials. Adapt the micro-structure and control application-specific properties by acting on material preparation, processes and process technologies. Include the development of detection / measurement systems and multi-scale models as needed;
- Analyse, micro- and/or nano-characterise, and compare low-carbon production of liquid iron and/or crude steel combining the use of direct reduced iron (DRI) with varying qualities and raw materials from primary and secondary sources to push for closing material cycles;
- Couple the analysis with needs for plant design optimisation and measures to mitigate risks during operation;
- Define pre-processing needs of primary and secondary iron containing materials for iron and steelmaking targeting low environmental impact. Analyse the effects on the production process and product metallurgy.
Funding Information
- Funding Available: 28, 000,000
Eligible Activities
- The following activities are generally eligible for grants under Horizon Europe:
- Research and innovation actions (RIA) — Activities that aim primarily to establish new knowledge or to explore the feasibility of a new or improved technology, product, process, service or solution.
- Innovation actions (IA) — Activities that aim directly to produce plans and arrangements or designs for new, altered or improved products, processes or services. These activities may include prototyping, testing, demonstrating, piloting, large-scale product validation and market replication
- Coordination and support actions (CSA) — Activities that contribute to the objectives of Horizon Europe.
- Programme co-fund actions (CoFund) — A programme of activities established or implemented by legal entities managing or funding R&I programmes, other than EU funding bodies.
Expected Outcomes
- Projects are expected to contribute to at least three of the following outcomes:
- Validate innovative carbon-neutral iron and steel making solutions within a system-level approach and in consideration of diverse materials with varying quality (raw input materials and reductants mix) and energy needs. Address high-risk factors at macroscopic and microscopic level through detailed characterization of the physical and chemical interactions that could compromise the optimal functioning of the processes;
- Solve system-level issues within at least two low-CO2 production routes;
- Define solutions and provide concepts to address possible modifications or material substitutions in innovative installations for low CO2 iron and steel production;
- Improve low-CO2 steel production reliability to target high-quality products:
- clarify the effect of material and process variables, and overall system aspects;
- clarify the influence of changing crude steel quality on the properties of the produced steel, with the purpose to achieve quality and extended lifespan of products;
- clarify the impact of diverse input materials with varying quality on the residue characteristics and on its potential valorisation and use;
- Provide an impact analysis covering the materials and energy balance of identified solutions, viability and byproducts.
Eligibility Criteria
- Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from no associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not).
- 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.
- 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, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions:
For more information, visit EC.