Green Deal Call projects powering a competitive green energy transition

Europe’s green transition is also a competitive transition, securing industrial transformation while achieving climate neutrality. In other words, climate action goes hand-in-hand with economic growth and technological leadership. A competitive green transition means pursuing leadership in innovation, cost-effective solutions, industrial value creation, resilient supply chains, a skilled workforce, export potential, and a just transition that benefits all regions and societal groups. This balance between climate ambition and economic competitiveness is crucial, as Europe faces global competition in clean technologies, from the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act incentives to China’s dominance in manufacturing renewable energy equipment[1].  In response, the EU is determined to lead the clean technology revolution, turning skills into quality jobs and innovation into mass production. The European Commission’s Green Deal Industrial Plan explicitly aims to “enhance the competitiveness of Europe’s net-zero industry” while accelerating climate neutrality[2]. 

In this context, the Horizon 2020 Green Deal Call (GDC), a €1 billion research and innovation funding initiative, was designed to deliver high-impact, near-market innovations that advance the objectives of the European Green Deal. The GDC projects were selected for their potential to demonstrate and deploy solutions rapidly, often at high technology readiness levels (TRLs)[3] with large-scale demonstrations. These projects are strategically positioned at the intersection of clean energy, digitalisation, and industrial transformation. They serve as testbeds for integrated solutions that cut emissions, while also building new industrial value chains and jobs. Many of these projects accelerate innovation beyond EU borders, particularly through partnerships with African countries that demonstrate how clean technologies can also advance sustainable development.

What does a competitive green transition mean for the EU? 

For Europe, a competitive green transition means leadership in clean technology innovation, economic efficiency in achieving climate goals, scalability of solutions across the single market, and strategic autonomy in key energy industries. In practice, this involves developing domestic innovation ecosystems, nurturing skills and talent for the green economy, and leveraging global influence to set standards in climate mitigation and adaptation. The EU’s vision is a transition in which climate neutrality is reached by 2050, while European industries thrive and create jobs, proving that decarbonisation and competitiveness can reinforce each other.

The Horizon 2020 Green Deal Call was intentionally designed with this vision in mind. It focused on mission-driven research and innovation projects with high potential to de-risk and fast-track clean solutions. Projects were required to bring technologies from pilot stage to demonstration in real-life settings. The GDC projects emphasise high-impact demonstrations of technical feasibility, economic viability and societal acceptance of green innovations. They were selected for scientific excellence, market readiness and policy relevance, aiming to inform regulation and investment with evidence from the field. Many GDC projects have delivered impressive breakthroughs that are accelerating climate action through cross-cutting innovative solutions. 
For the EU, a competitive green transition entails that as we invest in decarbonising energy, transport, industry and more, we simultaneously boost our industrial competitiveness, climate credibility, and strategic resilience. GDC projects provide valuable inputs toward this goal by serving as living laboratories for systemic innovation. They allow policymakers to see how different technologies perform together (e.g. renewable generation with storage and digital control) and how business models can be structured around them. This provides an evidence base for scaling up what works through EU policies like the Green Deal Industrial Plan or the REPowerEU strategy.

Today, with global clean-tech competition growing, European innovation needs to stand out. The GDC-funded projects showcase how research can be translated into real-world impact. 

GDC Projects Driving Innovation for a Competitive Green Energy Transition

The following sections highlight specific GDC-funded projects in key thematic areas. These projects illustrate how innovation is being successfully advanced to ensure a competitive green transition. Each project tackles a different challenge of the energy transition (e.g., renewable grid integration, energy access in developing regions, storage and supporting infrastructure), but all contribute to Europe’s competitive edge in clean energy.

Renewable Energy and System Flexibility

One pillar of competitiveness is the ability to integrate renewable energy at scale while maintaining grid stability. Several GDC projects focus on making renewable power more flexible and reliable, which is crucial for replacing fossil fuels in power and industry.

• Bio-FlexGen – Hybrid biomass and hydrogen for flexible power: The Bio-FlexGen project has developed a highly efficient combined heat and power (CHP) plant that uses a mix of biomass and renewable hydrogen as fuel. The plant can ramp its output up or down to provide dispatchable electricity and heat on demand by coupling biomass gasification with hydrogen production. This flexibility supports grid stability as more intermittent renewables like wind and solar come online. The 25 MWe CHP system operates at high efficiency and low cost, providing industry with a reliable renewable energy source. Bio-FlexGen has successfully developed and tested its technology, which efficiently converts biomass residues into clean syngas. This innovation combines the benefits of bubbling and circulating fluidised bed systems and is supported by digital optimisation tools that adjust energy output in real time. The system can flexibly produce electricity, heat, hydrogen, or CO₂, making it a key enabler of integrated renewable energy systems. Bio-FlexGen’s approach shows how traditional bioenergy can be enhanced with hydrogen to create a new class of power plants that are both low-carbon and responsive to grid needs. 

• EU-SCORES – The EU-SCORES project is pioneering bankable hybrid offshore energy parks, combining wind, wave, and floating solar to create a more stable, efficient renewable energy solution. By leveraging complementary resources, the project increases capacity factors and reduces costs, while its eco-conscious design—such as solar panels allowing light penetration and marine life access—minimizes environmental impact. In Reporting Period 3 (2025), EU-SCORES advanced from modeling to real-world deployment. In Belgium, Ocean of Energy (OOE) completed in-port deployment in Oostende and towing tests at the Blue Accelerator site, validating floating solar feasibility. In Portugal, CorPower Ocean (CPO) executed two full ocean cycles of its wave energy converter in Agucadoura, proving operational resilience. Updated 2025 modeling confirms hybrid parks can triple electricity output in some regions and boost e-fuel production by 90%. The project also finalized all business and insurability deliverables (WP7), providing a commercialization roadmap, with 14 public reports now available. Engagement efforts included two Policy Summits with site visits, Tier-1 media coverage, and contributions to 28 industry events. Research outputs—21 journal and 12 conference papers—are accessible on the project website. EU-SCORES is optimizing marine space use and reducing renewable energy costs, reinforcing Europe’s leadership in offshore innovation. As the project enters its final phase, its success will accelerate the global transition to hybrid offshore parks, offering a scalable, sustainable energy solution.

• FORWARD-2030 – Advancing tidal energy for EU leadership: The FORWARD-2030 project aims to advance tidal energy solutions by fast-tracking the commercial deployment of tidal stream energy. Led by Orbital Marine from Scotland, this project’s ambitious overall objective is to enable 2030 MW of tidal stream capacity to be deployed by the year 2030. To do so, FORWARD-2030 is developing an energy system that integrates floating tidal turbines with other elements: wind generation, on-site battery storage, grid export, and even green hydrogen production from tidal power. By combining these, the project will aim to demonstrate how tidal energy (known for its predictability) can be packaged with storage and hydrogen to provide reliable clean energy and other products. As of 2025, FORWARD-2030 has progressed toward installing its next-generation floating turbine at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney and is demonstrating how predictable tidal power can feed into hybrid systems for reliable, zero-carbon energy. It has also delivered innovations in cost reduction, environmental monitoring, and supply-chain readiness, providing early evidence of tidal energy’s economic and industrial potential in Europe. Running until 2027, the project will continue refining system integration and preparing the ground for commercial deployment. 

• RESTORE – Seasonal renewable storage for district heating: The RESTORE project tackles the challenge of making district heating and cooling (DHC) networks 100% renewable. It has successfully developed an innovative system based on a reversible organic Rankine cycle (rORC)[5] combined with thermochemical energy storage. During periods of excess renewable electricity or heat (for instance in summer or midday), the system can store energy in a thermochemical form. Later, when demand is high (e.g. winter or evening), the rORC can run in power generation mode, releasing that stored heat to produce electricity and feed the heating network. It can switch between heat pump mode and power generation mode, effectively acting as both a battery and a flexible power plant for a DHC system. This allows cities to use more solar and wind energy for heating needs by storing surplus energy seasonally. RESTORE supports cleaner urban heating, reduced gas dependency, and opportunities for European industry to export such integrated solutions. It demonstrates how smart engineering in mature sectors like heating can deliver both climate and competitiveness benefits.

Energy access and innovation in Africa 

A competitive green transition for Europe also involves international leadership and partnership for exporting solutions, building markets abroad, and ensuring global climate action. Several GDC projects focus on clean energy access in Africa, reflecting EU priorities to support sustainable development and create opportunities for European clean-tech companies in fast-growing markets. These projects have successfully demonstrated how co-development with African partners can yield innovations that are scalable, affordable, and tailored to local needs.

• SESA – Smart Energy Solutions for Africa: The SESA project is a large EU-Africa collaboration across nine African countries[6] to implement and replicate sustainable energy solutions in communities. It serves as an open innovation platform where different clean energy technologies (solar microgrids, waste-to-energy, battery storage, e-mobility, etc.) are demonstrated in real settings. SESA’s emphasis is not only technical but also on business models and local capacity: developing solutions that are easily replicable and that generate local economic development and social cohesion. For example, local living labs bring citizens, authorities, and entrepreneurs together to co-design, test and adapt energy solutions that meet community needs, while a start-up incubator supports African entrepreneurs in developing and scaling them. SESA has successfully expanded sustainable energy access (e.g., solar power for schools or clinics, clean cooking solutions, productive use of energy in agriculture) in a way that is viable in the long-term. For example, in Ghana, SESA supported a local business called Nastech Power Solutions, which has developed a circular economy approach to repurpose electronic waste and batteries into second-life energy storage systems, now certified and performing over 45 % more efficiently, providing power to marginalised communities. In Malawi, SESA supported Smart Energy Enterprise (SEE) to introduce solar-powered irrigation systems for smallholder farmers, improving agricultural productivity and access to clean energy. In Rwanda, SESA has scaled clean cooking technologies that reduce indoor air pollution and strengthen sustainable energy access.

• ENERGICA – Energy access in urban and rural Africa with integrated tech: ENERGICA demonstrates a suite of solutions in different African contexts, blending solar energy, battery storage, and digital tools to improve services. Within the East African Community, ENERGICA has focused on electric mobility solutions powered by renewables, such as solar charging hubs for electric two-wheelers (boda-boda taxis) in Nairobi and Kisumu, Kenya. In Freetown, Sierra Leone, it has demonstrated solar-powered water purification and low-tech biogas systems for clean cooking. In Madagascar, it has implemented innovative nano-grids to support rural production of water and food. Across these pilots, the project demonstrates the success of matching technology with local needs and building integrated community energy systems managed by local stakeholders. 

• SophiA – Sustainable off-grid energy for African healthcare: Project SophiA addresses a critical development challenge: powering rural health facilities reliably with clean energy. It has delivered containerised off-grid systems that provide carbon-neutral electricity, medical refrigeration, heating, and clean water to hospitals and clinics in remote areas. The systems integrate solar photovoltaic panels, solar thermal collectors, battery storage, and innovative cooling technologies using natural refrigerants, capable of maintaining vaccine freezers at -70 °C and other medical cold chain needs. Four pilot hospitals in different African climate zones have received these units, which are manufactured in Africa to develop local value chains. SophiA has successfully improved healthcare delivery and resilience by ensuring power for lighting, equipment, vaccine storage, and water purification. Importantly, the project also included training local technicians and developing guidebooks so that the solutions can be replicated by African companies in the future. 

• REFFECT AFRICA – Renewable energy from agricultural waste: REFFECT AFRICA exemplifies circular economy innovation by converting agricultural and agro-industrial waste into useful energy for communities. The project has deployed biomass gasification technology in combination with solar PV and batteries to create hybrid power systems for off-grid or weak-grid areas. In Ghana, for example, REFFECT AFRICA has installed a demonstrator at a high school that integrates a 20 kW biomass gasifier (fuelled by local peanut shells), a 24 kW solar PV array, and an 80 kWh battery bank. This system provides 100% renewable electricity for the school’s needs (lighting, labs, a water purification system) and showcases a circular economy model where farm residues become fuel. In Morocco, another demonstrator uses olive industry waste in a gasifier to generate power and heat, along with biochar that is used to enrich soil for local farmers. These pilots illustrate local energy solutions that tackle multiple issues at once: waste management, rural electrification, and climate adaptation (via biochar improving drought-prone soils). 

• SteamBio Africa – Biofuels from invasive biomass via superheated steam: SteamBioAfrica is tackling an environmental and energy problem in southern Africa: the spread of invasive woody bush that degrades land. The project uses an innovative superheated steam process to convert this unwanted biomass into high-value solid biofuel and biochar. Essentially, harvested invasive bushes are fed into a reactor where superheated steam at ~250 °C roasts the biomass reducing its moisture and volatile content. The output is a dry, energy-dense bio-coal that burns cleanly, and condensate containing chemicals and water that can be utilised. SteamBioAfrica has demonstrated this technology in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa, validating the supply chain from bush harvesting to fuel production. One of the outcomes is that the sustainable biofuel can replace charcoal or even coal (to provide clean energy and potential export commodity). An additional outcome is restored rangeland ecosystems since removing invasive bushes helps rehabilitate land for agriculture and wildlife. If commercialised, this approach could create rural jobs (in harvesting and processing), new revenue streams, and improved land management.

Storage, system integration and infrastructure

The final theme involves cross-cutting infrastructure that underpins a competitive green energy system: energy storage and integrated grids. Achieving high shares of renewables and electrification will require new storage technologies and smarter grids that link energy carriers (electricity, heat, fuels). GDC projects are advancing these enabling technologies: 

• HYPERGRYD – Hybrid thermal-electric district grids: HYPERGRYD focuses on the sector coupling of energy networks in cities – specifically linking district heating/cooling grids with the electrical grid to improve efficiency and flexibility. The project has developed a set of replicable, scalable technological and information & communication technology (ICT) solutions to enable higher uptake of renewables in thermal networks and their integration with power grids. This includes innovative components like high-performance heat pumps, thermal storage, and smart controls that allow a district heating system to interact with the electricity market (for example, using surplus renewable electricity to charge thermal stores, or converting heat to power when needed). HYPERGRYD has created the blueprint for smart energy networks at the district level, demonstrated in four pilot sites (‘living labs’) in different climate zones. The benefits are both climate (more efficient energy use, less waste heat, more renewables) and economic, where cities can reduce energy costs and create new business models around flexibility services. 

• StoRIES – Pan-European energy storage ecosystem: StoRIES is a project with a more research-infrastructure angle, aimed at accelerating innovation in energy storage by connecting facilities and expertise across Europe. Recognising that many different storage technologies (thermal, electrochemical batteries, hydrogen, mechanical, etc.) will be needed, StoRIES has created a coordinated network of 66 world-class research infrastructures across 17 countries, giving scientists, companies and start-ups open access to facilities for testing and development. The project has also launched multiple trans-national access calls, enabling dozens of research teams to use these infrastructures free of charge, and has delivered a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for hybrid energy storage to guide future EU investments. StoRIES also developed training programmes, technical guidelines and materials research pathways that link storage performance with system-level needs. In terms of competitive advantage, having a coordinated research ecosystem means Europe can lead in next-generation storage breakthroughs, which are vital for renewable energy integration and other industries like automotive (e.g., batteries for EVs). 

                  Figure  1: Map of Green Deal Call Projects across the thematic areas 

Innovation at the heart of a competitive green Europe

The diverse GDC energy projects described above demonstrate that Europe’s clean energy transition is a valuable economic opportunity both within the EU and outside the EU as well as an environmental and climate imperative. Across all thematic areas the projects have moved high-potential ideas into real deployment environments, created new industrial capabilities, supported skills development, and generated evidence that is already shaping EU policy and investment decisions. They have demonstrated reliable renewable power, new storage and system integration methods, high-value circular economy pathways, and successful EU-Africa partnerships. Several projects are already influencing standards, attracting private investment, and preparing technologies for scale-up.

Europe’s innovation leadership becomes visible in the way these projects combine technical excellence with market relevance, social acceptance, and replicability. Their achievements show that clean energy innovation can create value for industry, communities, and global partners. As the projects finalise their demonstrations and deliver their last sets of results, their successes create a strong foundation for wider uptake through instruments such as: Cohesion Funds, Public-Private Partnerships,  Innovation Fund, Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), and the forthcoming Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2028-2034. These mechanisms can accelerate the journey from demonstrated solutions to competitive commercial deployment across Europe and abroad. The momentum created by the GDC portfolio shows that Europe has the capacity and the ambition to lead the global clean technology race, and the next step is to scale what works and extend these successes across the entire economy.

To learn more about these projects and the Green Deal Projects Support Office (GDSO) activities, explore the GDSO’s library of success stories, working group reports, and articles which provide more information into each project’s journey and impact.

[1] Turning challenges to EU competitiveness into opportunities
[2] The Green Deal Industrial Plan - European Commission
[3] Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) are a measurement system used to assess the maturity of technology for market deployment. 
[4] D6.8_Impact-of-offshore-energy-systems-for-the-EU-energy-transition_final_250904.pdf
[5] rORC is a process that turns heat into electricity using organic fluids instead of water. A reversible cycle can also work the other way around, turning electricity back into heat when needed.
[6] Countries: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Tanzania.

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• Learn about the projects from the Clean energy working group
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