Positive Clean Energy Districts

Closed

Programme Category

EU Competitive Programmes

Programme Name

Horizon Europe (2021-2027)

Programme Description

Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.

Programme Details

Identifier Code

HORIZON-MISS-2021-CIT-02-04

Call

Positive Clean Energy Districts

Summary

The topic addresses the objectives of the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, hereafter referred to as the Cities Mission, to support, promote and showcase 100 climate-neutral and smart European cities by 2030 and make these cities act into experimentation and innovation hubs to put all European cities in a position to become climate-neutral by 2050. The topic will thus contribute to the twin green and digital transitions promoted by the European Green Deal and will lead by example on how to speed up the necessary transformation towards urban climate neutrality, including in a human-centred way.

Detailed Call Description

The scope of the projects will therefore be to:

  • Test large-scale Positive Clean Energy Districts under real life conditions and analyse
  • Demonstrate different combinations of technologies to achieve Positive Clean Energy Districts and analyse the most cost-efficient combinations.
  • Develop business models and governance structures that are best suited for Positive Clean Energy Districts (e.g. studying the most effective incentive schemes for behavioural change, development and integration of sustainable energy communities).
  • Test and adapt different management systems/platforms and citizen interaction and related co-creation and communication strategies that facilitate the implementation of Positive Clean Energy Districts.
  • Optimise on-site energy storage systems (e.g. thermal, electrical) linked with local non-combustion RES production (including excess energy from local/ regional industry), use of low carbon materials, and e-mobility (both passenger mobility and freight transport).
  • Integrate low to zero pollution heating and cooling systems (e.g. solar thermal district heating plants) making best use of local assets.
  • Test Positive Clean Energy District grid solutions, demand response and other smart energy management strategies that help to optimise the larger energy system.
  • Establish a project structure that actively involves the local city administrations and mayors of other cities in co-creation, inter-city peer review process and formal collaborations based on officially adopted shared principles.
  • Involve owners/inhabitants but also financial actors as consortium partners already in the development phase, with the perspective to scale up from project to real city transformation.

Cities are natural testbeds for innovative integrated solutions and for showcasing the different possibilities for achieving climate neutrality and zero pollution objectives.

Call Total Budget

€40,00 million

Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan

100%

EU Contribution per project: between €15,00 and €20,00 million

Thematic Categories

  • Energy
  • Environment and Climate Change
  • Research, Technological Development and Innovation
  • Urban Development

Eligibility for Participation

  • Central Government
  • Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
  • State-owned Enterprises

Eligibility For Participation Notes

All applying cities must have a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) or similar, validated by European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) at least 1 month before call closure (a fast-track procedure can be requested if needed).

Call Opening Date

11/01/2022

Call Closing Date

26/04/2022

National Contact Point(s)

Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia
P.O.Box 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Phone Number: +357 22205000
Email Address: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/

Contact Persons:
Ms Constantina Makri
Scientific Officer
Contact Phone: +357 22 205 054
Contact Email: cmakri@research.org.cy

Ms Katerina Karakasidou
Scientific Officer
Contact Phone: +357 22 205 036
Contact Email: kkarakasidou@research.org.cy

(Publish Date: 17/01/2022-for internal use only)

EU Contact Point

European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact