Optimised/Alternative Silicon Growth Technologies (from either liquid or gaseous phase) for PV Applications (EUPI-PV Partnership)
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See in 5 min if you're eligible for Optimised/Alternative Silicon Growth Technologies (from either liquid or gaseous phase) for PV Applications (EUPI-PV Partnership) offering max €69.0M funding💰 Funding Details
Optimised/Alternative Silicon Growth Technologies for PV Applications (EUPI-PV Partnership)
Grant Snapshot
* Call Identifier: HORIZON-CL5-2025-02-D3-09
* Programme / Cluster: Horizon Europe – Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy & Mobility)
* Type of Action: Innovation Action (IA) – Lump-Sum
* Budget Envelope: Up to €69 million per project
* Submission Scheme: Single-stage
* Portal Status: Open for submission
* Opening Date: 6 May 2025
* Deadline: 2 September 2025 – 17:00 (Brussels time)
Policy Context
The topic directly underpins the European Solar Strategy and the Net-Zero Industry Act by boosting EU manufacturing capacity for crystalline silicon (c-Si) PV. It is embedded in the co-programmed European Partnership for Innovation in Photovoltaics (EUPI-PV) and contributes to the Solar Energy Joint R&I Agenda under the ERA framework.
Expected Outcomes
1. Stronger, strategic EU industrial base: Lower dependency on non-EU suppliers, especially for ingot & wafer steps currently dominated by Asia.
2. GW-scale manufacturing uplift within Europe, accelerating PV deployment.
3. Lower environmental footprint: reduced energy use, kerf loss, and critical-raw-material demand.
4. Lifecycle sustainability & recyclability in line with EU taxonomy and Ecodesign requirements.
Scope Highlights
Proposals must tackle at least one of the following:
* Alternative growth routes (liquid or gaseous phase) that can bypass wafer sawing or drastically cut kerf losses (e.g. ribbon growth, EFG, epitaxial “kerfless” layers).
* Optimised Cz / DS processes for large-diameter, low-defect ingots, integrating kerf slurry recycling or module-waste silicon.
* Energy & material efficiency breakthroughs in wafering (diamond wire reuse, slurries, AI-driven defect detection, etc.).
Multidisciplinary consortia must include at least one industrial ingot or wafer manufacturer and are encouraged to integrate feedstock suppliers, equipment OEMs, digital-twins/AI experts, circular-economy actors and PV cell/module lines.
Funding Mechanics (Lump-Sum)
* Single consolidated amount fixed in the Grant Agreement – internal cost categories are not reported.
* Milestone & Work-Package-based payments: rigorous definition of deliverables and technical KPIs is essential.
* Lump-sum favours lean financial reporting but requires a credible cost-breakdown at proposal stage.
📊 At a Glance
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🇪🇺 Strategic Advantages
EU-Wide Advantages & Opportunities for the call "Optimised/Alternative Silicon Growth Technologies for PV Applications (EUPI-PV Partnership)"
1. Single Market Access (450+ million citizens)
• Fast-track entry into the world’s second-largest solar market (EU Solar Strategy target: 600 GW DC installed by 2030).
• Harmonised CE-marking allows a single conformity assessment for PV modules, metrology tools and production equipment, reducing go-to-market costs by up to 25 % compared with multiple national approvals.
• Utility-scale tenders under RED III and national RES auctions create immediate demand pull for EU-made high-efficiency modules.
2. Cross-Border Collaboration & Knowledge Exchange
• Consortium requirement sparks partnerships between wafer growers (DE, FR, ES), equipment manufacturers (IT, NL), kerf-recycling SMEs (AT, CZ) and research labs (Fraunhofer, CEA-INES, IMEC, Tyndall).
• Access to European Research Area mobility schemes (MSCA, Erasmus+ Industry PhD) accelerates technology transfer and workforce upskilling.
• Shared pilot-line infrastructure (European Solar PV Industry Alliance) lowers pre-industrial CAPEX by €10–15 M per partner.
3. Alignment with Core EU Policy Agendas
• European Green Deal & Fit-for-55: every GW of EU-made wafers avoids ~12 kt CO₂e vs. imported wafers.
• Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA): project can claim “Strategic Net-Zero Technology” status, unlocking fast-track permitting and IPCEI eligibility.
• Critical Raw Materials Act: kerf and end-of-life Si recycling contribute directly to circularity KPIs.
• Digital Europe & Chips Act synergies in advanced crystal growth, automation and inline digital twins.
4. Regulatory Harmonisation Benefits
• Unified REACH & RoHS frameworks ease design of low-impact slurry additives across 27 MS.
• Unitary Patent reduces multi-jurisdiction IP costs by ~70 %.
• Standardised certification (EN 50521, IEC 61215) accelerates market entry EU-wide.
5. Access to the EU Innovation Ecosystem
• Five of the world’s top-10 PV research institutes are in the EU, offering state-of-the-art characterisation (ESRF, ILL, EUROPV testbeds).
• EuroHPC access for AI-driven defect prediction and process digital twins.
• Clustering with EUPI-PV, ETIP-PV and the European Solar Manufacturing Council multiplies dissemination reach.
6. Funding Synergies
• Combine lump-sum Horizon grant with Innovation Fund (large-scale demo ≥€7.5 M CAPEX) for first-of-a-kind GW plant.
• EIB Green Loans & InvestEU guarantees cut cost of capital by 50–90 bps.
• Regional ERDF/Just Transition funds finance infrastructure upgrades in coal-transition regions (e.g., PL-Silesia, ES-Asturias).
• Seal-of-Excellence SME work packages can pivot to EIC Accelerator for scale-up finance.
7. EU-Scale Deployment & Impact Potential
• Internal demand of 70 GW/yr (2026 forecast) can absorb several GW-scale wafer lines.
• CBAM on high-carbon imports improves price parity of clean EU wafers.
• Job creation: 4–6 direct jobs/MW in wafer & cell manufacturing → up to 280,000 new EU jobs by 2030.
• Cuts >90 % dependency on Chinese wafers, enhancing energy security.
8. Strategic Value over National-Scale Initiatives
• Pan-EU demand aggregation de-risks gigawatt-factory investments.
• Multi-country industrial clusters (e.g., "PV Valley" linking DE-CZ-PL) optimise supply-chain logistics and renewable electricity sourcing.
• State-Aid Temporary Crisis & Transition Framework allows >35 % CAPEX grants when projects involve ≥3 Member States.
9. Concrete Action Points for Applicants
1. Build a multidisciplinary consortium spanning at least three Member States and including one ingot/wafer manufacturer.
2. Embed a “Made in EU, Made Circular” business model referencing NZIA benchmarks (40 % EU PV manufacturing share by 2030).
3. Outline a blended-finance stack: Horizon LS grant (R&I) + Innovation Fund (FID) + EIB Green Loan (commercial roll-out).
4. Integrate KPI reporting aligned with EUPI-PV metrics (kWh/kg-Si energy intensity, kerf recycling %, CO₂e/kg).
5. Create an IP & standardisation work-package to influence CEN/CENELEC TC-82.
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Ready to Apply?
Get a personalized assessment of your eligibility and application strategy
See in 5 min if you're eligible for Optimised/Alternative Silicon Growth Technologies (from either liquid or gaseous phase) for PV Applications (EUPI-PV Partnership) offering max €69.0M funding