EU-Wide Advantages & Opportunities for the Horizon Europe RIA “Solving issues in carbon-neutral iron & steel making”

1. Strategic Access to the EU Single Market

- 450+ million consumers and >230 Mt annual steel demand give immediate scale for low-CO2 products validated in the project.

- Harmonised product standards (EN, ISO, CE-marking) enable rapid commercial roll-out across 27 Member States without re-certification costs.

- Forthcoming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) rewards EU-made green steel, giving early movers a competitive price premium inside the Single Market.

2. Cross-Border Collaboration & Knowledge Exchange

- Grant mandates consortia from ≥3 countries, unlocking pan-European scientific excellence (Fraunhofer, VTT, CSM, Swerim, etc.) and the Clean Steel Partnership (CSP) network of 170+ organisations.

- Facilitates transnational use of pilot/demo assets (e.g. HYBRIT in SE, SALCOS in DE, GravitHy in FR, H2Green Steel in ES) to validate results under multiple feedstock and energy scenarios.

- Access to European Research Infrastructures (ERIs) such as EMIRI, JRC INCITE, synchrotrons (ESRF, Elettra) for multi-scale characterisation.

3. Alignment with Flagship EU Policies

- Green Deal & Fit-for-55: Direct contribution to the –55 % GHG target and Net-Zero Industry Act by decarbonising an 8 % EU-CO₂ sector.

- Critical Raw Materials Act: Project focus on substituting/metallising low-grade ores & scrap supports EU autonomy in iron units & alloying elements.

- Digital Europe & Data Spaces: FAIR-principled data generation can be plugged into the Industrial & Manufacturing Data Space and upcoming CSP digital twin initiative (topic DIGITAL-61).

- Skills Agenda & Pact for Skills: Mandatory skills-development WP feeds into EU metallurgy curricula and reskilling programmes financed by ESF+.

4. Regulatory Harmonisation Benefits

- One set of rules for ETS phase-out, IED, REACH & water directives simplifies techno-economic assessments across sites.

- EU-wide IP framework (Unitary Patent) protects innovations with one filing, lowering legal costs.

- Shared state-aid exemptions for Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI Hy2Use/Hy2Tech) allow faster scale-up of hydrogen-based routes.

5. Embedded in Europe’s Innovation Ecosystem

- Synergies with RFCS, EIT RawMaterials & EIT Manufacturing, and the EIB/InvestEU green industrial loans pipeline.

- Access to Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) for AI/ML sensor development and European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) for supply-chain matchmaking.

- Participation in CSP’s Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA) ensures results feed directly into coordinated TRL 6–8 Innovation Fund or CEF investments.

6. Funding & Leverage Opportunities

- Horizon Europe RIA covers 100 % direct costs, de-risking early-stage research; follow-up capital expenditure can tap:

• Innovation Fund large-scale (>€7 bn) for first-of-a-kind plants.

• Just Transition Fund & Recovery & Resilience Facility for regional deployment in coal/steel regions.

• EIB Green Steel de-risking facility for low-interest loans.

- Possibility to bundle ETS free-allowance savings and national contracts-for-difference with EU grants to hit bankability sooner.

7. Scale & Impact Potential

- Pan-EU validation across at least two low-CO₂ routes (e.g., H₂-DRI/EAF & iron-ore electrolysis) provides robust evidence for industrial investors.

- Harmonised LCA/LCC benchmarks become de facto EU standards, influencing procurement (Green Public Procurement) and automotive construction norms.

- Results can be replicated in over 30 EU steel plants located in strategic corridors (North Sea hydrogen backbone, Baltic-Adriatic, Iberian H₂ corridor).

- Generates high-quality employment (estimated 20 000 skilled jobs) and safeguards >320 000 existing EU steel jobs by future-proofing assets.

8. Unique EU-Scale Value Proposition

1. Market Pull + Policy Push: CBAM, ETS phase-out and mandatory green-steel quotas combine to create a uniquely strong EU demand signal.

2. Critical Mass of Assets: Only the EU hosts multiple pilot lines at TRL 5–7, enabling statistically valid, multi-site trials within one project.

3. Integrated Funding Ladder: Horizon RIA → Horizon IA/CSP calls → Innovation Fund → InvestEU → Cohesion Funds, all under one regulatory umbrella.

4. Systemic Circularity: EU waste-shipment regulation & End-of-Waste criteria foster cross-border scrap flows, maximising circular feedstock utilisation across Member States.

5. Geopolitical Resilience: EU-wide sourcing of low-grade ores, scrap and renewable H₂ reduces import dependency, supporting Open Strategic Autonomy.

9. Actionable Recommendations for Applicants

- Build a north–south–east consortium to reflect diverse ore qualities, energy prices and policy frameworks, strengthening impact scores.

- Integrate at least one hydrogen valley and one renewable electricity supplier to demonstrate full green value chain.

- Reserve resources for the mandatory CSP clustering WP and for feeding data into the JRC INCITE platform.

- Outline a roadmap linking project KPIs to Net-Zero Industry Act benchmarks and Member State Recovery Plans to show policy coherence.

*Leveraging the pan-European market, regulatory alignment and a multi-billion-euro funding escalator, this Horizon Europe RIA offers unrivalled opportunities to position consortium partners at the forefront of the global green-steel transition.*