In its communication, the European Commission details financing issues for a series of energy technologies. Drafts seen by Europoliticsgive indicative financing needs, albeit placed in brackets. These figures only vaguely reflect possible future spending commitments from a variety of EU and national sources. Research initiatives concentrate on reducing costs and improving efficiencies.

European Wind Initiative.Listed first, this initiative (see separate article) is "earmarked" some €5.5 billion over the next ten years for a European research programme to make wind power generation fully competitive and capable of contributing up to 20% of EU electricity by 2020 (and 33% by 2030). The Commission believes over 150,000 skilled jobs could be created in the industry.

Solar Europe Initiative.The Commission calls for a long-term research programme focused on advanced photovoltaic (PV) concepts and systems with up to five pilot plants for automated mass production and a portfolio of demonstration projects for both decentralised and centralised PV power production. For concentrated solar power (CSP), the Commission calls for industrial up-scaling of demonstrated technologies through the construction of up to ten first-of-a-kind power plants.

The Commission believes a Solar Europe programme would cost some €16 billion over the next ten years. More than 200,000 skilled jobs could be created. The programme could lead to up to 15% of EU electricity being generated by solar power in 2020 (together with market-based incentives).

Electricity Grid Initiative.Here, up to 20 large-scale demonstration projects at real life scale would validate smart grid solutions and assess their real system benefits, before roll-out across Europe. Projects would cover everything from home energy efficiency through smart meters to the system integration of multiple small-scale power generators to the automation and control of whole networks.

A EU Electricity Networks research programme could cost some €2 billion over the next ten years. The goal of the initiative would be, by 2020, to enable the seamless integration of renewables and operations along 'smart' principles for 50% of networks in Europe.

Susutainable Bioenergy Initiative. This initiative, with up to 30 pilot plants, should point forward to large-scale, sustainable production of advanced biofuels and of highly efficient combined heat and power from biomass. Required is the scaling up and optimisation of integrated processes, with a focus on the improvement of feedstock flexibility, energy and carbon efficiency, reliability and maintenance of plants. Logistics also needs to be improved for the sustainable production, harvesting and use of biomass feedstock.

The Commission costs such a programme at some €8.5 billion over the next ten years. Some 100,000 local jobs could be created and, by 2020, 'sustainable' and 'cost-competitive' bioenergy could be providing least 14% of EU's energy mix.

CCS Initiative.This research programme would aim to deliver improved components, integrated systems and processes to make carbon capture and storage (CCS) commercially feasible in fossil fuel power plants going into operation after 2020.

The Commission costs the CCS Initiative at €13 billion over the next ten years. The target would be to reduce the cost of CCS to €30-50 per tonne of CO ₂ abated by 2020.

Sustainable Nuclear Fission Initiative.This initiative aims to support more efficient and safer 'generation IV' nuclear reactors. Advanced reactor types should also have the ability to co-generate both electricity and process heat for industrial purposes ⁽¹⁾.

The cost of such a programme (aiming for operational 'generation IV' prototypes by 2020) is estimated by the Commission at €7.5 billion over the next ten years.

Fuel cells and hydrogen.The Commission calls for additional support for the Joint Technology Initiative (JTI) on fuel cells and hydrogen, established for 2008-2013 with a budget of €470 million of EU funding (matched by industry contributions). Meeting market entry targets requires more and larger scale demonstrations and pre-commercial deployment activities for portable, stationary, transport applications. There should also be long-term research and technology development in order to build up a competitive fuel cell chain and a sustainable hydrogen infrastructure.

Additional funding needed is "currently" estimated by the Commission at €5 billion for the period 2013-2020.

Smart Cities Initiative.Here the Commission is calling for a €11 billion European programme to lead to, by 2020, some 25 to 30 low carbon 'smart cities' (see separate article). The initiative would tackle the bottlenecks facing the achievement of greater energy efficiency.

European Energy Research Alliance.Over the next two years, the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) will launch and implement joint programmes addressing the key challenges of the SET plan. The EERA aims at moving cooperation between national research institutes from ad hoc participation in uncoordinated joint projects to collectively devising and implementing joint programmes.

The Commission puts forward cost estimates, if the alliance expanded its activities, of some €5 billion over ten years (coming from both EU and national sources).

No cherry picking

Wary of being accused of cherry picking, the Commission also mentions other technologies, such as marine energy, energy storage as well as renewable heating and cooling. It notes that consultations with stakeholders are taking place as part of the SET plan Information System (SETIS) and may in "due course" lead to proposals for further European initiatives. Nonetheless, no cost estimates are presented.

The Commission finally calls for basic energy research funding of the tune of €1 billion over the next ten years, mostly through public funds. This would boost 'breakthrough' science on future technologies, such as motor fuels direct from sunlight, solid state (digital) light sources that last for decades, and batteries that store electricity at ten times the current density.

⁽¹⁾ Also mentioned briefly is fusion energy (as part of the international agreement for ITER, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor).