Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7)
The Seventh Framework Research Programme (FP7) bundles research-related EU initiatives together. The programme will last for seven years from 2007until 2013. The programme has a total budget of over EUR 50 billion. This represents a substantial increase compared with the previous Framework Programme FP6 (41% at 2004 prices, 63% at current prices).
The Framework Programmes for Research have two main strategic objectives:
- to strengthen the scientific and technological base of European industry;
- to encourage its international competitiveness, while promoting research that supports EU policies.
FP7 provides grants on a competitive basis to co-fund various and wide-ranging research projects. The maximum reimbursement rates to the costs of a project depend on the funding scheme, the legal status of the participants and the type of activity. The standard reimbursement rate for research and technological development activities is 50%. Certain legal entities can receive up to 75% (non-profit public bodies, SMEs, research organisations, higher education establishments). For demonstration activities, the reimbursement rate may reach 50%. For other activities (consortium management, networking, training, coordination, dissemination etc.), the reimbursement can be up to 100% of the eligible costs.
Energy research under FP7 has been allocated a budget of EUR 2.35 bn and focuses on the following areas:
- Hydrogen and fuel cells
- Renewable electricity generation
- Renewable fuel production
- Renewables for heating and cooling
- CO2 capture and storage technologies for zero emission power generation
- Clean Coal Technologies
- Smart energy networks
- Energy efficiency and savings
- Knowledge for energy policy making
Renewable electricity generation has been divided into 7 thematic areas:
- Photovoltaics: New processes for equipment manufacturing, standardied and tested building components.
- Biomass: Use of biomass in direct co-firing, advanced biomass gasification systems, medium to large scale bio-electricity systems.
- Wind: Large scale on and off-shore wind power plants, dependable output forecasting tools, standards and certification schemes.
- Geothermal: Enabling technologies for the exploitation of high-temperature resources, improving geothermal reservoir detection technology, increasing the performance of fluid production systems (corrosion and scaling), increasing the efficiency of electricity generating systems.
- Concentrated solar power: Improvements in the optical and thermal efficiency of the solar components, power generation efficiency (including hybridisation with other fuel), and operational reliability.
- Ocean: Technological improvements in new components and system designs.
- Hydro: Improve the energy and cost-efficiency of hydropower plants, in particular smaller systems, while minimising the adverse environmental impact.
Renewable fuel production has also been divided into 7 focal areas, including:
- First and Second generation biofuel from biomass
- Biorefinery (advanced fractionation and conversion technologies, biorefinery concepts and stand-alone biorefinery concepts)
- Biofuel use in transport
- Alternative routes to renewable fuel production (e.g. using renewable electricity to produce carbon-neutral hydrogen and solar radiation to fuel generation through thermo-chemical and non-thermal processes)
- Biofuels from energy crops
- Cross-cutting issues (assessing and optimising the availability of bi
The Framework Programmes for Research have two main strategic objectives:
- to strengthen the scientific and technological base of European industry;
- to encourage its international competitiveness, while promoting research that supports EU policies.
FP7 provides grants on a competitive basis to co-fund various and wide-ranging research projects. The maximum reimbursement rates to the costs of a project depend on the funding scheme, the legal status of the participants and the type of activity. The standard reimbursement rate for research and technological development activities is 50%. Certain legal entities can receive up to 75% (non-profit public bodies, SMEs, research organisations, higher education establishments). For demonstration activities, the reimbursement rate may reach 50%. For other activities (consortium management, networking, training, coordination, dissemination etc.), the reimbursement can be up to 100% of the eligible costs.
Energy research under FP7 has been allocated a budget of EUR 2.35 bn and focuses on the following areas:
- Hydrogen and fuel cells
- Renewable electricity generation
- Renewable fuel production
- Renewables for heating and cooling
- CO2 capture and storage technologies for zero emission power generation
- Clean Coal Technologies
- Smart energy networks
- Energy efficiency and savings
- Knowledge for energy policy making
Renewable electricity generation has been divided into 7 thematic areas:
- Photovoltaics: New processes for equipment manufacturing, standardied and tested building components.
- Biomass: Use of biomass in direct co-firing, advanced biomass gasification systems, medium to large scale bio-electricity systems.
- Wind: Large scale on and off-shore wind power plants, dependable output forecasting tools, standards and certification schemes.
- Geothermal: Enabling technologies for the exploitation of high-temperature resources, improving geothermal reservoir detection technology, increasing the performance of fluid production systems (corrosion and scaling), increasing the efficiency of electricity generating systems.
- Concentrated solar power: Improvements in the optical and thermal efficiency of the solar components, power generation efficiency (including hybridisation with other fuel), and operational reliability.
- Ocean: Technological improvements in new components and system designs.
- Hydro: Improve the energy and cost-efficiency of hydropower plants, in particular smaller systems, while minimising the adverse environmental impact.
Renewable fuel production has also been divided into 7 focal areas, including:
- First and Second generation biofuel from biomass
- Biorefinery (advanced fractionation and conversion technologies, biorefinery concepts and stand-alone biorefinery concepts)
- Biofuel use in transport
- Alternative routes to renewable fuel production (e.g. using renewable electricity to produce carbon-neutral hydrogen and solar radiation to fuel generation through thermo-chemical and non-thermal processes)
- Biofuels from energy crops
- Cross-cutting issues (assessing and optimising the availability of bi
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