Prior to discussions among EU leaders on the Green Deal Industrial Plan on 9-10 February, the association of European innovative grid technology companies, currENT, suggest a review of the EU Innovation Fund.
SuperNode Chief Public Affairs Officer and Chair of currENT ,Christian Kjaer stated: “We need to review the eligibility criteria of the EU Innovation Fund for enabling technologies such as innovative transmission grids. Currently, the system is biased towards the polluters and the more greenhouse gas you emit, the higher you score and the greater the chances of funding are. Put in simple terms, you can get funding for reducing your cement plant’s emissions but not for developing a new, innovative type of zero emissions cement. “
CurrENT suggests that the Commission includes innovative transmission grid technologies such as long-range superconducting cable systems for offshore and terrestrial applications in its ongoing investment needs assessment.
Moreover, currENT suggests that the Commission takes initiative to review the appropriateness of the Innovation Fund, REPowerEU, InvestEU, and other EU funding vehicles such as the important Projects of Common European Interest, with regards to innovative transmission technology based on superconductors.
CurrENT is the preeminent European association of innovative grid companies, of which SuperNode is a founding member.
Read currENT’s full response here.