Germany to back research projects advancing heating transition

Germany will provide financial support for the research and development of technological innovations that would accelerate the decarbonisation of the heating sector.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) has launched a funding call, targeting research and demonstration projects in which companies and research institutes partner to advance the green transition in heating.

With the funding programme, the ministry aims to strengthen Germany's research and development capabilities in this area in an effort to ensure that industrial companies will stay and invest in the country.

The scope of the research initiative includes heat pumps which are expected to be a key technology in heat decarbonisation as they can be used in buildings, in district heating networks and for process heat in industry. Apart from heat pumps, projects addressing other challenges in heat transition will also be entitled to compete. Such areas of research include the reduction of heat demand and seasonal heat storage, digital networking and the production and life cycle of the new technologies as well as the integration of solar thermal, geothermal energy and biomass into district heating networks.

The financing will be provided from BMWK's energy budget where EUR 600 million (USD 583.38m) is available for this year alone.

The results from the research projects must be published so that municipalities, businesses and heat suppliers can access them.

Germany already has a EUR-2.98-billion programme to support district heating network operators to finance feasibility studies, build district heating networks powered by at least 75% renewable energy or waste heat and decarbonise existing networks.

(EUR 1 = USD 0.972)

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