European Commission invests €65 million into renewable technology, including solar and storage projects

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Vattenfall’s 700kW Symbizon agrivoltaics project in the Netherlands. Image: Vattenfall

The European Commission (EC) has granted €65 million (US$71.2 million) to 17 renewable technology projects to expand their operations, including a solar agrivoltaics project in France and thermal energy storage projects in France and Denmark.

The funding will help French agrivoltaics developer Sun’Agri design, build and deploy a system of “protective nets” to cover six hectares of an agrivoltaics project in France, in order to protect and encourage growth of three Mediterranean crops.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

While the company did not specify how this project would generate more electricity at the project, the EC noted that the project would “optimise the synergy between PV panels and [the] multi-cultural farm,” suggesting that the process will aim to simultaneously improve the project’s electricity generation efficacy and ability to grow plants.

The investment is notable considering the growing interest in the European agrivoltaics sector. Earlier this year, the EC estimated that building agrivoltaics projects on 1% of Europe’s farmland could meet the entirety of Europe’s solar PV goals by the end of the decade, highlighting the potential benefits of the technology.

Meanwhile, the two energy storage projects to receive funding both involve thermal energy storage. The MITIGAT project in France, developed by Eco-Tech Ceram, will be a multi-energy smart grid, which will use a combination of heat storage, renewable energy conversion to heat and long duration energy storage; and the RockStore facility in Denmark, operated by Forsyning Danmark, will use granite rocks in steel tanks to store heat at temperatures of up to 330 degrees Celsius.

Both projects will look to address the inherent variability of renewable power generation, and the developers will be optimistic that the EC funding will help them demonstrate the efficacy of their solutions.

The EC noted that each project would receive between €1.6-4.5 million (US$1.8-4.9 million), with the renewable energy and energy storage projects set to receive €32.8 million (US$35.9 million) in grant funding, more than half of the funds on offer.

The funding is derived from the EU’s Innovation Fund, a programme implemented by the EC to encourage greater investment into clean energy technologies. This year, the EC expanded the scope of the programme to include 530 million Emissions Trading System (ETS) allowances, a carbon pricing system that puts the price of emissions at €75 (US$82.2) per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Based on this pricing structure, the Innovation Fund will invest the equivalent of €40 billion (US$43.8 billion) into clean energy technologies between 2020 and 2030, and sustained investment in such new technologies will be an integral part of Europe’s attempts to meet its climate targets. Last week, EU leadership reached an agreement on provisional reforms for the bloc’s electricity market design, and financial institutions such as these will be integral to delivering an energy transition that is financially sustainable.

The news follows a warning from the EC, which said this week that governments of EU states would have to “enhance their efforts” to meet the EU’s climate goals, following a review of countries’ National Energy and Climate Plans.

21 May 2025
London, UK
The Renewables Procurement & Revenues Summit serves as the European platform for connecting renewable energy suppliers to the future of energy demand. This includes bringing together a community of European off-takers, renewable generators, utilities, asset owners, and financiers. The challenges ahead are complex, but through collaboration, innovation, and a shared vision, we can navigate uncertainties and forge a sustainable energy future. Let us harness our collective knowledge to advance the renewable energy agenda.
3 June 2025
Messe Stuttgart Stuttgart, Germany
Meet battery manufacturers, suppliers, engineers, thought leaders and decision-makers for a conference and battery tech expo focused on the latest developments in the advanced battery and automotive industries. Stay plugged in for all the latest information on The Battery Show Europe 2024 including: Keynote Speakers & Conference Overview Show Features Floor Plan & Exhibitor News Travel & Transport information
2 December 2025
Málaga, Spain
Understanding PV module supply to the European market in 2026. PV ModuleTech Europe 2025 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of module supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, traceability of supply-chain, factory auditing, module testing and reliability, and company bankability.
10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

April 25, 2025
Austria has announced a 'Made in Europe' bonus of 20% to government funding for PV and storage projects that use components made in Europe.
April 25, 2025
Technique Solaire has raised €302 million (US$343 million) in senior debt financing to build its European PV portfolio.
April 24, 2025
Leading Chinese firm DAS Solar has started construction at a 3GW module manufacturing facility in Mandeure, France, its first in Europe.
April 24, 2025
Swiss solar manufacturer Meyer Burger has reduced shifts for around 300 employees at its Thalheim cell manufacturing facility amid supply chain challenges.
April 24, 2025
Tata Power Renewable Energy has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Tata Motors to build a 131MW wind-solar hybrid energy project.
April 23, 2025
Germany’s latest public auction for ground-mounted solar PV capacity ended “significantly oversubscribed”, according to the German electricity regulator, the Bundesnetzagentur.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
April 29, 2025
Dallas, Texas
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
May 7, 2025
Munich, Germany
Solar Media Events
May 21, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
June 17, 2025
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK