European funding for innovation

Towards the energy efficient and emission free vessel

Deadline: 18th March 2014 (for pre-proposals)

The challenge is to support developments that make new and existing vessels used in maritime operations (including leisure) and in inland navigation significantly more efficient and less polluting through solutions addressing four ship sub-systems: engine, pollution abatement systems, propulsion, energy sources and management including the efficient operation of on-board systems

: In order to meet this challenge, proposals should address one or several of the following aspects:

• Optimisation of conventional ship engines, including fuel flexibility, new materials, lifetime performance and near zero emissions engines.

• Development of low-maintenance, affordable off-the-shelf retrofit solutions for emission reductions of existing engines.

• Development of Liquified Natural Gas/dual fuel powered engines for small and mid-size ships, including the specific aspects of retrofitting, fuel supply and storage, safety (on-board and on-shore) and classification, and solutions to address the risks of methane slip.

• Design and demonstration of new and improved propulsion means and vessel configurations that include the entire drive train and the propeller and hull optimisation for vessels, including applied research in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

• Use of new energy sources including renewables, alternative fuels, hybrid and electric solutions with the aim to demonstrate the feasibility of the zero or near-zero emissions vessel.

Project Budget: between EUR 8 to 17 million each

Funding rate: 70% (except for non-profit legal entities, where a rate of 100% applies)

Source: European Commission official website

Funds for innovation actions

Technologies for “super” low “real world” CO2 and polluting emissions

Deadline: 18th march 2014 (for stage 1)

Proposals for research and demonstration activities should address one or more of the following domains:

• Future spark-ignited non-hybrid engines and their pollution abatement systems for gasoline and bio-based liquid fuels for passenger cars and light freight vehicles focussing on the optimal combination of innovative engine and after-treatment technology and of modelling, sensing on-board emission monitoring and testing to improve the design and control capability.

• Future diesel non-hybrid engines for cars and vans also focussing on the combination of the most appropriate engine and after-treatment technologies and on modelling, sensing on-board emission monitoring and testing to improve the overall design and control capability.

• Preparation of the life-cycle assessment of proposed technology combinations to quantify their environmental impacts along the entire well-to-wheel chain if not already covered by existing studies in the field.

• Low environmental impact brake systems to reduce micro and nano particles emissions while improving the measurement and understanding of their effects on health and the environment.

Project budget: 4-10 million EUR each
Funding rate : 70% (except for non-profit legal entities, where a rate of 100% applies)

Source: European Commission official website