From heat pumps to electric furnaces and smarter energy use, a new European Commission publication by the Directorate-General for Energy showcases how EU-funded technologies accelerate the electrification and energy efficiency of the European industry.
EU-funded technologies pave the way towards a cleaner and more competitive European industry
Industry accounts for around a quarter of the EU’s final energy consumption. Reducing its dependence on fossil fuels while maintaining Europe’s competitiveness requires solutions that can deliver cleaner, more efficient and secure energy use.
189 demonstrations, one industrial transition
The publication “Industrial electrification and energy efficiency – Technological success stories from EU programmes” shows how many of these solutions are already available and being demonstrated across Europe. It presents 189 demonstrators in 21 Member States, involving EU-funded projects supported through programmes including Horizon Europe, LIFE and the Innovation Fund. Together, they represent around €1 billion in investment, including some €600 million in EU support.
Behind them are five major routes towards making European industry cleaner and more energy-efficient:
- industrial heat pumps and mechanical vapour recompression;
- electric furnaces and boilers;
- electricity demand flexibility, integration of local renewable energy and storage;
- waste heat recovery and industrial symbiosis; and
- energy efficiency improvements via audits, motor systems, insulation, sensors and automation.
From demonstration to deployment
The publication presents 20 success stories, illustrating how solutions are already being tested and deployed in different industrial contexts across Europe. Together, they demonstrate the potential of combining electrification, renewable energy, energy efficiency and greater flexibility in industrial energy demand.
Deploying these technologies could halve the share of fossil fuels in industrial energy consumption by 2040. Accelerating their scale-up and uptake can contribute to Europe’s decarbonisation objectives, industrial competitiveness and energy security, while making better use of the growing share of renewable electricity in Europe’s energy system.
The challenge now is therefore not only to develop new technologies, but to bring mature solutions into much wider use.
EU funding helping technologies make the leap
From demonstration to large-scale deployment, several of the projects featured in the publication are supported through EU programmes implemented by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), including Horizon Europe, the LIFE Programme and the Innovation Fund.
They show how EU funding can help bring clean energy solutions closer to widespread deployment and support businesses and industrial ecosystems in their transition towards cleaner and more sustainable energy use.
Discover 20 EU-funded success stories and the technologies behind them: Industrial electrification and energy efficiency – Publications Office of the EU.
External link
