The European Steel Association (EUROFER) has stated that it has welcomed the European Commission’s (EC) ambitious €100 billion Horizon Europe research and innovation program proposal for the 2021-2027 period, the budget for which is approximately 25 percent higher than the budget for the Horizon 2020 program.
Axel Eggert, director general of EUROFER, stated that the European steel industry is at the forefront of low-carbon innovation in its field; however, steelmaking today is at its technical and thermodynamic limits, adding that the European steel industry thus needs to deploy breakthrough technologies to further reduce CO2 emissions and commitments to the European Union’s ambitious climate objectives.
“Innovation on an industrial scale is very capital intensive. Horizon Europe has to provide the right framework and financing to make the deployment of industrial demonstrator-level projects a reality. We are at an inflection that we cannot afford to miss,” said Mr. Eggert.
Meanwhile, EUROFER has set out its technological pathways for CO2 reduction in a discussion paper called Towards an EU Masterplan for a Low-Carbon, Competitive European Steel Value Chain, which shows that the European steel industry has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent or more. However, EUROFER stated that innovation is not without risk and, as an industry engaging in difficult, expensive research whilst operating in a fiercely competitive market, a joint effort is needed to succeed. Accordingly, the steel association has called on the EU institutions to agree to a large-scale initiative - a joint technology initiative - addressing low-carbon steel production.
The commission’s Horizon Europe program aims to strengthen the EU’s science and technology thanks to increased investment in highly skilled people and cutting-edge research, to foster the EU’s industrial competiveness and its innovation performance, notably supporting market-creating innovation via the European Innovation Council and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, and aims to deliver on the EU’s strategic priorities, such as the Paris Agreement on climate change, and tackle global challenges that affect the quality of daily life.