EC offers $150-mil for research to integrate renewables, cut cost

EC offers $150-mil for research to integrate renewables, cut cost

Brussels (Platts)--11Jul2005


The European Commission is offering funding of up to Eur125-mil ($150-mil) for
research into sustainable energy systems in its final call for proposals under
the 2002-06 sixth framework research program. "In the short to medium term,
the goal is to pave the way for the introduction of innovative and cost-
competitive renewable and energy efficiency technologies into the market as
quickly as possible through demonstration and other research actions," it said
Monday. 

In particular, it wants to support projects that will cut the cost of
renewable energy technologies so that they can compete in the EU's future
liberalized energy markets with "substantially reduced" subsidies. The
priority technologies are biomass, solar heating and cooling, geothermal
energy, innovative wind farms, small scale hydropower, photovoltaic and
ocean/marine energy. The 2001 EU renewables directive set a non-binding target
of 12% of the EU's total energy to come from renewable sources by 2010. But
the EU is expected to miss this, mainly because of slow biomass take-up.

Wind is already the most mature renewables technology, and so the EC is
looking for proposals to make it easier to develop large scale wind farms in
unconventional sites, including offshore, extreme climates and complex
terrains. In biomass power generation, the EC is looking for projects to
optimize the fuel supply chain, develop combinations with fossil fuels (eg
co-firing) and develop innovative technologies for large scale electricity
generation, such as integrated gasification combined-cycle plants and biomass
boilers. 

Another priority are projects tackling grid issues, such as how to manage
power grids linked to large scale decentralized wind power generation--a
controversial issue in countries linked to Germany's northern power grid. The
EC also wants proposals for integrating renewables and energy efficiency, such
as developing combined heat and power/polygeneration systems and eco-friendly
buildings. The EC plans an information day Sep 21, 2005 in Brussels. The
closing date for proposals is Dec 22, 2005.

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