The European Commission has selected seven decarbonisation projects in Germany as part of the latest round of funding from the EU Innovation Fund. The projects eligible for the funds disbursed under the REPowerEU Plan to phase out Europe’s dependency on Russian fossil fuels were chosen by a council of experts for their level of innovation and capacity for substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, Germany’s economy and climate ministry (BMWK) said. Selected projects include carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the chalk and cement industries, manufacturing of solar PV modules and a facility for the production of electrolysers and fuel cells. “The selected projects reflect the push for decarbonisation in Europe and in Germany and demonstrate the massive potential for innovative technologies to help transform industry,” said Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Vice Chancellor.

Overall, 41 projects from 15 EU countries were selected, and a total of 3.6 billion euros was awarded in funding. According to the BMWK, the selected projects could help save up 221 million tonness of CO2 over ten years of operation. Last year, the German government spent around 1.5 billion euros on energy transition research, a 13-percent improvement from the year before. Habeck previously stated that better financing and support for innovation are needed to strengthen the production of energy transition technologies in the country.