Topic updates

16 September 2025
The call for proposals HORIZON-CL5-2025-04 closed on 04/09/2025. 167 proposals were submitted to the call. The breakdown per topic is:

HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-10 (IA): 3

Innovative solutions for energy conversion and safety of low and zero-carbon fuels in waterborne transport (ZEWT Partnership)

TOPIC ID: HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-10

Type of grant: Call for proposals

General information

Programme:

Call: Cluster 5 Call 04-2025 (WP 2025) (HORIZON-CL5-2025-04)

Type of action: HORIZON-IA HORIZON Innovation Actions

Type of MGA: HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]

Status: Open for submission

Deadline model: single-stage

Opening Date: 06 May 2025

Deadline dates: 04 September 2025 17:00 (Brussels time)

Topic description

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

• The waterborne industry will have near-to-market solutions for the safe integration and use of low and zero-carbon fuel power conversion systems as the main power source for vessels above 5,000 Gross Tonnage (GT) with overall energy efficiencies at least 55% in shaft propulsion;
• Equipment manufacturers and ship owners will have access to a knowledge repository to support standardisation for using low and zero-carbon fuels and ensuring technical compatibility between the fuel and energy conversion system;
• Public authorities, port terminals and ship operators will have access to a knowledge repository to identify hazardous scenarios for low and zero-carbon fuels used in the demonstration and their potential impact in ports, including risk control options, as well as development of protocols for safe response operations in case of an accidental release of low or zero-carbon fuels;
• The EU waterborne industry, including shipyards and equipment manufacturers will gain an increased competitive advantage due to the development of innovative software demonstrating optimised integration of energy technologies;
• The workforce across the value chain, including on-board crews and port workers directly handling low and zero-carbon fuels and carrying bunkering operations, will gain competences and certified training in bunkering operations and port authorities' authorisations.

Scope:

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO)’s Greenhouse Gases (GHG) revised strategy of 2023 and the FuelEU Maritime Regulation have set ambitious goals to reduce the use of fossil fuels in waterborne transport. To that aim, maritime operators are working to replace the currently used engines with alternative power conversion systems that will allow the use of low and zero-carbon fuels for propulsion. Among all ship-types, the decarbonisation of long-distance shipping will rely the most on successful innovative solutions with high power outputs. Apart from greenhouse gas emissions, other pollutants and harmful ship emissions (e.g., NOx, SOx, PM, etc.) coming from the fuel mix currently used in waterborne transport and from low and zero-carbon fuels need to be lowered and eliminated where possible. This topic aims to integrate and further develop various fuel cells (FC) and internal combustion engines (ICEs) solutions for waterborne transport running on low and zero-carbon fuels and scaling-up their technological maturity on-board. Actions addressing these challenges should also align with the European Economic Security Strategy.

Proposals should address one of the two following areas:

Area A: Projects demonstrating FC solutions should deliver results that will reach a combined power output of at least 5 megawatts (MW) with energy supply provided by low and zero-carbon fuels;

Area B: ICEs solutions should demonstrate a combined power output of at least 10 MW with at least 85% of the energy supply provided by low and zero-carbon fuels.

The two selected projects will be complementary, not demonstrating the same areas describe above. If in one of the areas no proposal meets the minimum thresholds, then only one project will be funded under this topic.

Regarding GHG emission reduction, proposals should follow the provisions of FuelEU Maritime and the IMO GHG reduction strategy on fuel standards.

Proposals should address all the following aspects, noting that appropriate consideration should be given to selecting a suitable design approach:

• One full scale demonstrator of a vessel above 5 000 GT, showing the potential of integrated systems for 100% energy load provision under normal operations;
• The demonstrated solutions identify their impact on air pollution, showing at least: i) 90% reduction of NOx from IMO tier III; ii) sulphur emissions below 90% and; iii) a maximum of 5 mg/kWh of PM;
• Consider fuel flexibility and address cost impacts of energy efficiency, taking into account impacts on vessel CAPEX and OPEX plus the opportunity cost of increased power conversion and fuel storage size and mass;
• An innovative storage and handling solution on-board of ships and mixing of sustainable alternative fuels with sustainable or low carbon pilot fuels. In the case of proposals addressing Area B, solutions should demonstrate a reduction in the use of pilot fuels compared to solutions available on the market, aiming to avoid the use of pilot fuels altogether;
• Solutions developed and proven to prevent and mitigate slippage and fugitive emission factors related to the use of (1) low and zero-carbon fuels and (2) the remaining non-sustainable fuel used;
• Demonstrate optimised integration of energy technologies with overall energy efficiencies from fuel energy to shaft propulsion of at least 55%, able to operate on low and zero-carbon fuels and close to zero direct pollutant and harmful ship emissions;
• Identification of specific gaps in standardisation linked to the integration of the technologies researched and development of a roadmap to gather and disseminate the relevant data in support of standardisation, including communication and discussion with policy makers, industry, academic associations, and other relevant bodies;
• Development of parameters ensuring technical compatibility between the fuel and energy conversion system;
• Provide quantitative and qualitative validated risk and safety assessments and risk control options, including setting of safety rules and distances for bunkering, linked to the use of low and zero-carbon fuels on-board and impact in ports. Develop protocols for safe response through detection and dispersion modelling (both marine and atmospheric). Evaluate the relevant human and organisational risk factors, defining personnel protective equipment and adequate response techniques and equipment;
• The plan for exploitation and dissemination of results should identify adequate business cases and provide a roadmap for the deployment of the proposed technology, including plans for scalability, commercialisation, and deployment. The proposals should identify opportunities and propose strategies for further market uptake under the Innovation Fund and complementary bunkering needs under CEF AFIF (Connecting Europe Facility – Transport Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility);
• Development of material (including model courses with minimum requirements and a timeframe for achieving them) for training, reskilling, and upskilling of seafarers and port operators to use the developed solutions and operational procedures, for instance by leveraging the expertise and educational resources of leading training providers and universities;
• In addition to the full-scale demonstrator, proposals should also conduct 3 replication studies on the scalability and transferability of the proposed solutions in different ship types, demonstrating the viability of the new tools, methods and process required for the integration of the proposed solutions. The scope should include not just storage tanks, engines, or injection mechanisms but also virtual prototyping and hardware-in-the-loop testing for verification, especially for the (safety) automation systems. Impact on factors like load-steps, load acceptance, and vibrations should also be included, as to facilitate the design of high-performing, maintainable, and safe vessels must be taken into consideration;
• Development of relevant on-board after-treatment of specific pollutants sourced from low and zero-emission fuels (e.g., ammonia slip or N2O for ammonia or formaldehyde for methanol);
• Proposals must justify how their objectives, results, intellectual property (IP) management and exploitation strategy contribute to the creation of EU added value and strategic autonomy throughout the supply and value chain. This includes the competitiveness of the EU waterborne industry, enhancement of the EU’s R&I capacity, technological know-how capabilities and human capital, and resilience of the EU industrial and manufacturing base. Proposals are encouraged to prioritise shipyards, equipment manufacturers and suppliers located in the EU and EEA.

Additionally, proposals are invited to prove the utilisation of big data and data science technologies to determine real-world references regarding ship performance, environmental impacts and maintenance needs of ships operating on low and zero-carbon fuels.

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Zero Emission Waterborne Transport’ (ZEWT). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on results to the European Partnership ‘Zero Emission Waterborne Transport’ (ZEWT) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.

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