Objective
The steel industry is one of Europe’s most challenging sectors to decarbonise, responsible for 7–9% of global CO2 emissions and heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Around 60% of EU steel is produced via the BF–BOF route, reliant on imported coking coal, while the transition towards natural gas–based and hydrogen–based DRI remains exposed to high costs, fuel price volatility, and infrastructure limitations. Meeting the EU’s ambitious climate neutrality targets and the proposed 90% GHG reduction by 2040 requires disruptive technologies that enable both deep emission cuts and full integration of renewable electricity into core ironmaking processes.
ELEKTRA directly addresses this challenge by developing and demonstrating a portfolio of electrified, intensified reactor technologies that replace conventional fired units with efficient, renewable-powered systems. The project is structured around three pillars: (1) Electrified reformers for natural gas and DRI top-gas, compact Joule-heated systems that eliminate combustion losses, improve thermal efficiency, and enable flexible syngas production; (2) Electrified ammonia crackers, induction-heated units capable of delivering pure hydrogen with minimal NH₃ slip, aligned with Europe’s ammonia import strategy; and (3) Plasma-assisted CO2→CO recycling, an innovative pathway that directly reinjects recycled CO into BF and DRI loops, reducing hydrogen demand, closing the carbon cycle, and cutting coke use.
Validated in collaboration with leading industrial partners including ArcelorMittal, Fertiberia, Iberdrola, SNAM, and Johnson Matthey, ELEKTRA will reach TRL 7 for reformers and crackers, and TRL 6 for plasma CO2 recycling, with a roadmap to deployment by 2035. The outcomes will deliver ≥25% energy savings compared to state-of-the-art, reduce emissions across BF and DRI routes, and increase Europe’s resilience by lowering fossil fuel dependencies.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes recycling
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels fossil energy coal
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels fossil energy natural gas
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.4 - Digital, Industry and Space
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.4.9 - Low-Carbon and Clean Industries
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL4-2025-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
48009 Bilbao
Spain
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Participants (14)
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20009 DONOSTIA/SAN SEBASTIAN
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85354 FREISING
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
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48180 LOIU
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.
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EC2V 7AD LONDON
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M13 9PL Manchester
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28036 MADRID
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28036 Madrid
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13500 Puertollano Ciudad Real
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
6221 JG MAASTRICHT
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
5656 AE Eindhoven
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The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
20139 MILANO
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The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
28015 Madrid
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The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
33418 Gozon
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The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
5616 LZ Eindhoven
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.