Enhanced electric operation and battery durability (ZEWT Partnership) - European Commission
Funds innovation and demonstration of advanced battery-electric systems to improve performance, durability, and integration in waterborne vessels, supporting zero-emission maritime transport in the EU.
Funder: European Commission
Due Dates: April 14, 2027: Full application submission deadline (17:00:00 Brussels time)
Funding Amounts: ~€10,000,000 per project; 2 grants expected; total budget €20,000,000 (single-stage)
Summary: Funds innovation and demonstration projects to enhance battery-electric operation, durability, and integration for waterborne transport, including ferries, short sea, offshore, and inland vessels.
Description
This Horizon Europe grant supports the development, demonstration, and deployment of advanced solutions to improve the performance, durability, and integration of fully battery-electric waterborne vessels. The focus is on extending operational range, enabling rapid zero-emission charging, optimizing onboard electrical and battery management systems, and ensuring safe, efficient integration with port infrastructure. Projects should address full-scale demonstrations, energy efficiency, adaptive energy management, modular retrofitting, safety assessments, and the creation of best practices for regulatory compliance. Collaboration between industry and education for specialized training in waterborne battery management is encouraged, with an emphasis on life cycle sustainability and strengthening the EU waterborne sector’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy.
