3. Decarbonising Europe through industrial value chains

EIT InnoEnergy is spearheading the decarbonisation of Europe by leading industrial value chains in three strategic sectors: battery storage, green hydrogen and solar photovoltaics.

These industrial initiatives play a fundamental role in progressing the European Commissions’ updated industrial strategy, which forges a pathway for industry to become more sustainable, digital, competitive and resilient. The development of these industrial strands are being driven through three EIT InnoEnergy-supported initiatives – the European Battery Alliance; the European Green Hydrogen Acceleration Center; and the European Solar PV Alliance.

DEvEloPInG EuRoPE’s BATTERy InDusTRy

In Europe, the future of energy is electric. However, in the massive migration from fossil to electric, the availability of capable batteries is a major issue. The need for efficient batteries – for transport, power and industrial applications – is growing fast and at an increasing pace.

The European Commission launched the European Battery Alliance in October 2017 to address the industrial challenge to be at the forefront of an annual market value estimated at €250 billion from 2025 onwards. For Europe, the establishment of a complete domestic battery value chain is imperative for a clean energy transition and a competitive industry.

The industrial development programme of the European Battery Alliance, the EBA250, is managed by EIT InnoEnergy. Today, EBA250 is a project-driven community which brings together more than 800 industrial and innovation actors, from mining to recycling, with our common objective to build a strong and competitive European battery industry.

As Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has stated: “Batteries are strategic but we still rely on batteries that are entirely or partly made abroad. We decided to join forces with Member States and the private sector. And so, the EBA was born. Soon the most innovative batteries will be made in Europe.”

DEvEloPInG HyDRoGEn InITIATIvEs To DECARBonIsE HARD-To-ABATE InDusTRIAl vAluE CHAIns

Through the European Green Hydrogen Acceleration Center (EHGAC), the intention is to create industrial players which we help to de-risk and accelerate their green hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and aviation fuel projects. We do this through early-stage investment and acceleration services which we deliver in collaboration with our ecosystem. The EGHAC is all about new company building

HIERRy B RET on European Commissioner for Internal Market

in a few designated value chains: steel, chemicals, fertiliser, aviation, maritime shipping These companies will kick start the uptake of green hydrogen and can be replicated across Europe to increase the impact on greenhouse gas reduction and the creation of jobs.

In addition, we support green hydrogen projects and start-ups by assessing their business case, perform a team assessment and finally introduce them to a tailormade advisory committee with the objective to become an active investor and to accelerate and derisk these projects as well.

A huge milestone in 2022 for EGHAC has been the launch of GravitHy, a future market leader in green steel. The fully sustainable iron and steel company will support the growing demand for zero carbon steel, whilst contributing to Europe’s “Fit for 55” package ambitions to decarbonise hard-to-abate industries. GravitHy, which plans to mobilise 2,2B€ worth of investment at commissioning, will build its first plant in the area of Fos sur Mer, Southern France.

sHInInG A lIGHT on THE EuRoPEAn solAR Pv InDusTRy AllIAnCE

Launched by the European Commission and led by EIT InnoEnergy, the European Solar PV Industry Alliance (ESIA) facilitates innovation-led expansion of a resilient industrial solar value chain in the EU, in particular in the PV manufacturing sector. ESIA supports the growth of a European industry that is developing and commercialising breakthrough technologies along the whole value chain, leading to more innovative, efficient, circular and sustainable products, and making the EU’s climate and energy objectives more attainable.

Scaling up the production of solar PV panels and value chain components in Europe will contribute to the EU’s competitiveness and job creation and complement import diversification strategies to better protect against risks of supply disruption. ESIA aims to create the right conditions for investment in large-scale PV manufacturing capacity in Europe, across the solar PV value chain, by de-risking and accelerating industrial projects, by supporting the diversification efforts and by further promoting the competitive technological advantages.

ESIA and its members are contributing to the massive, rapid deployment of renewable energy in Europe and the EU solar energy strategy, which aims to install over 320 GW of solar PV by 2025, more than doubling the 2020 output, and almost 600 GW by 2030.

By supporting large industrial projects through these three initiatives, EIT InnoEnergy is directly impacting the energy trilemma: reducing the cost of energy, limiting greenhouse emissions and increasing availability and security – all of which ultimately play a fundamental role in realising the goal of a carbon neutral Europe by 2050.