The objective of this topic is to support highly innovative, disruptive or breakthrough technologies that enable deep decarbonisation needed for achieving climate neutrality.

Pilot projects can thus concern:

• Sectors listed in Annex I and Annex III to the EU ETS Directive 2003/87, including  environmentally safe carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) that contributes substantially to mitigating climate change, and products substituting carbon intensive ones produced in sectors listed in Annex I to the EU ETS Directive.
• Construction and operation of innovative energy storage systems.
• Development of CO2 storage solutions.
• Renewable energy installations, in photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, onshore and offshore wind power, ocean energy, geothermal, solar thermal, and other renewable energy technologies, including innovative systems for grid  connection (electricity/heat).

A higher degree of innovation is expected than in the other topics under this call.

Funded activities should address technical risks associated with the emonstration of innovative technologies and solutions, such as optimising technology rocesses and operational parameters and/or improving the characteristics of the final products. Pilot projects should demonstrate an innovative, deep decarbonisation or net carbon removal technology or solution in an operational environment but are not expected yet to reach large scale demonstration or commercial production.