As the European Union continues on its pathway towards climate neutrality by 2050, its energy mix is undergoing dramatic changes. Clean sources make up ever greater shares of the EU’s energy mix, but a great part of the future transition relies on the maturation of new solutions that are currently still in the pipeline of research and innovation (R&I).
The unprecedented shift to clean energy presents new challenges such as the sustainable use of resources, the resilience of the supply chains or the environmental and social impacts that R&I needs to address while developing the new generations of clean energy technologies.
The new study aims to increase the alignment of emerging clean energy technologies with EU goals to maximize their positive impact. This requires early and continuous assessment of environmental, economic and social sustainability, circularity as well as their contribution to EU resilience and technological autonomy.
The study provides an extensive overview of the available assessment methods, presents the findings of relevant stakeholders consultations and proposes a set of actionable approaches validated and refined in collaboration with ongoing Horizon Europe projects at different technology readiness levels.
The study defines a flexible methodological framework taking into account different maturity stages and technology-specific guidelines meant to support new concepts in their journey from the laboratory to the market.
It contains five sector-specific guidelines for application, covering carbon capture, utilisation and storage, energy infrastructure, energy storage, renewable and low carbon fuels and renewable energy technologies.
Background
Funded under Horizon Europe Work Programme 2021-2022, the Study on circular approaches for a sustainable and affordable clean energy transition supports the implementation of EU climate and energy goals as set in the European Climate Law and the Renewable Energy Directive.
By addressing future clean energy technology sustainability, circularity and contribution to EU resilience and technological autonomy, the study is aligned with the goals of the Clean Industrial Deal, the Critical Raw Materials Act and the upcoming Circular Economy Act whereas the clean energy technologies analysed are relevant the Net Zero Industry Act and the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan).
More information
Study on circular approaches for a sustainable and affordable clean energy transition
