The European Commission has announced €2.9 billion in new funding to support 61 innovative net-zero technology projects across Europe. The grants, provided through the Innovation Fund and financed by revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System, follow the first dedicated call for net-zero technologies launched in December 2024. The initiative is designed to bolster Europe’s technological leadership while accelerating the rollout of advanced decarbonisation solutions.
The selected projects represent 19 industrial sectors in 18 countries, reflecting a broad approach to reducing emissions across multiple parts of the economy. They cover areas such as energy-intensive manufacturing, renewable energy and storage, net-zero mobility, cleantech production, and industrial carbon management. Together, these projects are expected to cut approximately 221 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent during their first ten years of operation—an amount comparable to the annual emissions of nearly 10 million European cars. According to the Commission, this contribution will play a meaningful role in supporting the EU objective of climate neutrality by 2050.
What's Next?
Project developers have been invited to begin preparing grant agreements with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency. This stage will confirm budgets, technical milestones and legal obligations, with final agreements expected in the first half of 2026.
The call attracted strong interest, with 359 applications requesting nearly €22 billion in support, far exceeding the available budget. The Commission notes this response as evidence of the growing maturity of Europe’s net-zero technology sector. With over €15 billion already committed to more than 270 projects, the Innovation Fund will continue expanding, with the next funding calls planned for December 2025.
Source: European Commission
Details
- Publication date
- 4 December 2025
- Author
- European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency