Next-generation CO2 capture: designing low-cost and low-impact technologies for HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-24
8th December 2025 at 2:39 pm
Achieving climate neutrality requires dramatically expanding the capacity of the European Union (EU) to capture CO2 from both industrial point sources and ambient air. While commercial technologies exist, their energy use, operational cost and environmental footprint remain major barriers to widespread deployment. The Research and Innovation Action (RIA) HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-24 invites proposals that develop new or emerging capture technologies with high potential for cost reduction and minimal environmental impact. With a budget of €18.00 million for three projects and a deadline on 17 February 2026, this call targets breakthroughs in materials, process design and operational flexibility that can accelerate large-scale CO2 capture and ensure compatibility with future transport and storage requirements. Below, we outline how applicants can design strong proposals that meet the expectations of the European Commission (EC).
1. Designing the next generation of CO2 capture materials
New capture materials underpin the call’s ambition to reduce costs, increase selectivity and minimise degradation. The EC expects projects to identify and validate materials with improved kinetics, enhanced absorption or adsorption, and longer operational lifetimes.
• Compare existing materials with novel solvents, sorbents, membranes or solid looping media.
• Emphasise high CO₂ selectivity and capture capacity, especially under varying temperature and humidity conditions.
• Address degradation behaviour, impurity sensitivity and long-term stability.
• Demonstrate how material choice enables lower energy consumption and reduced operating costs.
2. Reducing energy use and environmental impact across capture technologies
The call stresses that new technologies must deliver lowest possible negative environmental impact, including water use and broader ecological considerations. Energy-intensive regeneration steps remain a cost driver and key target for innovation.
• Analyse energy demand for both capture and desorption phases using process modelling.
• Quantify expected reductions in thermal or electrical energy input compared to existing technologies.
• Assess environmental impacts such as water use, chemical handling, corrosion risk and waste generation.
• Align design decisions with future scale-up requirements and safe, sustainable operation.
3. Tailoring performance to the chosen capture pathway: point-source or DAC
Proposals must focus on either point-source capture or direct air capture (DAC) and explicitly identify the chosen route. Each comes with distinct performance expectations.
• For point-source capture: address operational flexibility under variable industrial loads to maintain high capture rates.
• For DAC: prioritise materials and processes that remain stable under ambient conditions with exposure to heat, oxygen and moisture.
• Ensure capture output meets purity standards suitable for CO₂ transport and geological storage.
• Analyse footprint, modularisation potential and ease of retrofit for the chosen pathway.
4. Modelling, integration and scale-up: bridging lab advances with industrial relevance
Emerging technologies must demonstrate a credible pathway from lab-scale innovation to industrial application, which includes modelling, integration, modularity and responsiveness to industrial constraints.
• Combine experimental validation with modelling to assess scale-up potential and system performance.
• Examine heat integration options, process intensification and opportunities for modular design.
• Address space requirements and flexibility of operation.
• Show how the capture technology can be integrated into industrial processes without disrupting continuity or product quality.
5. Ensuring safety, durability and minimal health or environmental impact
The EC requires proposals to evaluate the health and environmental impact of materials, chemicals and processes, including their long-term durability and degradation patterns.
• Assess toxicity, corrosion potential and long-term environmental risks of solvents or sorbents.
• Evaluate lifespan, maintenance needs and degradation pathways.
• Consider impacts of impurities on material stability and capture performance.
• Demonstrate compliance with safety norms and anticipate future scale-up risks.
6. Leveraging European and international collaboration opportunities
The EC encourages the use of the European Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Laboratory Infrastructure (ECCSEL) for testing and validation, and international cooperation for DAC projects under the Mission Innovation Carbon Dioxide Removal Mission.
• Plan research or validation activities that utilise ECCSEL facilities where relevant.
• For DAC, explore collaboration opportunities with Mission Innovation partners.
• Demonstrate how international or pan-European cooperation strengthens scientific quality and deployment readiness.
• Outline mechanisms for sharing results, aligning with global best practices and contributing to international climate goals.
Looking for support in preparing your CO₂ capture proposal?
At accelopment, we continue to expand our Horizon Europe portfolio in support of advanced industrial processes, digital innovation and energy system transformation. Our experience includes projects such as DT-HATS, CLASSY and DIGI+. Together, these initiatives reflect our commitment to enabling technological breakthroughs that increase efficiency, improve reliability and reduce environmental impact across sectors. With our expertise in proposal writing, consortium coordination and impact communication, we help research teams design competitive and strategically aligned projects under Horizon Europe’s Cluster 5 and beyond.
Dr. Johannes Ripperger
Research & Innovation Manager
Andreia Cruz
Research & Innovation Project Manager