Madrid – Spain has successfully secured 29 projects from the EU Innovation Fund, amounting to a total funding of 1.286 billion euros, making it the leading beneficiary of projects in Europe.
The projects span various regions and industries, focusing on areas such as the manufacturing of photovoltaic modules and wind turbines, solar power generation over water channels, recycling of plastics and textiles, production of green ammonia, low-emission construction, glass materials production, and carbon capture with geological storage.
This achievement follows the awarding of eight new projects in the most recent call for applications in 2023, part of a competitive selection process that included 85 shortlisted projects, as reported by Spain’s Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge.
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action has released the results of this latest selection round, marking the seventh such announcement from the fund. The Innovation Fund is endowed with over 4 billion euros to support projects focused on clean technology manufacturing and pilot projects of varying scales.
In total, Spain has claimed 29 projects across the fund’s seven calls, in addition to two projects located in other EU countries – one in Germany and another spanning France and the Czech Republic – that involve Spanish participation. Furthermore, two Spanish initiatives have received 238 million euros in the inaugural auction of the Hydrogen Bank under the same fund.
Significant projects awarded funding in this initiative include ‘Catalina’ in Andorra (Teruel), spearheaded by CIP for renewable hydrogen production, which received 230.46 million euros, and ‘Green Meiga’ in Lugo, led by Iberdrola for green methanol production from renewable hydrogen and CO2 captured from the atmosphere and plant residue combustion, which secured 122.91 million euros.
Additionally, Repsol has initiated projects like the Ecoplanta in Morell (Tarragona), designed to convert non-recyclable municipal waste into methanol – benefitting from 106.37 million euros – and ‘T-Hynet’, also in Tarragona, aimed at green hydrogen production at the Tarragona refinery for local use, receiving 62 million euros, among other initiatives.
The eight latest projects awarded funding in the 2023 call include Repsol’s ‘TarraCO2-Storage’ in Tarragona, Fertiberia’s ‘Gaia’ in Avilés, Intecsa’s ‘Modus’ in Valencia (part of the Cobra-Vincci group), Cosentino Industrial’s ‘CT Quarry’ in Cantoria (Almería), Acciona’s ‘PVOrellana’ in Canal de Orellana (Cáceres), and ‘MOD4PV’ in Extremadura from Trina Solar and Iberdrola, among others.
The EU Innovation Fund is a specialized funding initiative managed by the European Commission, designed for the implementation of innovative low-carbon technologies, processes, and products. Its goal is to foster market solutions that align with the EU’s decarbonization targets. The fund is financed through emissions allowance auctions and has a projected budget of 40 billion euros for the period from 2020 to 2030.
This fund not only advances strategic technologies but also furthers objectives outlined in the Law on Net Zero Emissions Industry and the Renewable Energy Directive. (December 27)
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