With a current funding call within the scope of the Guideline for the Promotion of Measures for the Development of Renewable Fuels (Richtlinie zur Förderung von Maßnahmen zur Entwicklung regenerativer Kraftstoffe), the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV – Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr) is launching the funding programme for the further development of various production paths for renewable marine fuels. Depending on the respective technological maturity, the use for maritime applications is to be tested and, where already possible, transferred to a pilot or demonstration scale, or used under real conditions.
The focus of the guideline is on application-oriented projects. Alongside universities, colleges and non-university research institutions, the funding is also intended to support commercial enterprises and municipal companies, for example in the areas of plant construction, component manufacture (electrolysis, synthesis processes) as well as fuel production and use in the (further) development of necessary technological solutions.
The following projects are eligible for funding:
- Individual and collaborative projects in which concepts and processes for process chains for sustainable renewable marine fuel production are further developed.
- The development of technologies and processes for the production and conditioning of advanced biofuels (including bio-LNG, bio-methanol), green hydrogen, PtL and PtG fuels (including e-methanol, e-ammonia, SNG), and LOHC for maritime applications.
- Hybrid processes based on green hydrogen and biogenic components.
- All fuel production stages in concept and process development.
- Pilot and demonstration plants for fuel production along the entire production value chain.
Funding requirements of this call for submissions:
- The focus is explicitly on application-related projects; basic research is not funded.
- The project proposal must demonstrate a high degree of innovation and novelty, and be sufficiently differentiated from completed and ongoing research work.
- Biofuel or hybrid biofuel projects are only eligible for funding if they exclusively use raw materials in accordance with Annex IX Part A of the Renewable Energies Directive (EU 2018/2001).
- Verification of sufficient market and value creation potential, to be presented in the outline submission, must be carried out. Preference will be given to projects with significant participation by companies.
Interested parties have the opportunity to learn more about the new funding call on 13 January 2023 in an online seminar organised by NOW GmbH, which has been commissioned by the BMDV to implement the funding measure. You can register for the online seminar here.
Everything at a glance: New website for the overall concept launched today
At www.erneuerbarekraftstoffe.de you can now find all the information on the Renewable Fuels Overall Concept in a single place.
In addition to detailed information on funding opportunities, the website also provides information on renewable fuels in general. The knowledge section of the website supplies initial answers for the expert public. Relevant events related to renewable fuels are presented on the website in the “News” section.
An interactive map of Germany also provides an ongoing indication of which projects have already received funding.
In the Climate Protection Act, the German government has set binding greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for the transport sector. A necessary prerequisite for achieving the climate protection goals is the use of renewable fuels, especially in air and maritime transport, but also in road transport. In recent years, research and development for the production of advanced biofuels as well as green hydrogen and fuels based on it (power-to-liquid (PtL)/power-to-gas (PtG)) or energy carriers (liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC)) has been significantly advanced. Tests and validations of these renewable fuel options have been carried out on a laboratory scale, and isolated tests have already been conducted in relevant operational environments for maritime applications.