Cost-efficient small scale hydrogen liquefaction

As the hydrogen economy expands, the need for efficient, cost-effective, small scale, decentralised hydrogen liquefaction is growing—especially for remote transport hubs, off-grid or remote communities, and industrial facilities with hydrogen demand below 5 metric tons per day (tpd). The aim is to develop new technologies that optimise energy use, ensure safety, lower capital and operational costs, and cope with fluctuating demand, making small-scale hydrogen liquefaction viable and competitive. Projects are expected to contribute to rolling out next-generation decentralised hydrogen liquefaction technologies, reducing energy intensity to 12 kWh/kgH2 at 500 kg/day and 10 kWh/kgH2 at 5 tpd, and reducing liquefaction cost to about €3.5/kg.

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Agency	HORIZON (EU)
Region	EU
Country	N/A
Legal form	Company, NGO, Government organization, Other
Start date	10 Feb 2026
End date	15 Apr 2026
Max funding	The maximum EU contribution for this topic is EUR 6,000,000.
Budget	Indicative annual budget for Clean Hydrogen JU topics in 2026: EUR 105,000,000 (shared across various topics).
Coverage	Lump sum funding model. Co-funding and private investment leverage expected for actions performed at high TRL levels. Full capitalised costs may be supported for specific equipment, infrastructure, or other assets purchased specifically for the action.

Grant application conditions

Page Limit	Application form: maximum 70 pages for Innovation Actions.
Eligible Countries	All EU Member States and Associated Countries. Some non-EU/non-Associated Countries may participate if they secure their own funding.
Maximum Funding Request	Requested EU contribution may not exceed EUR 6,000,000.
Legal and Financial Capacity	Applicants must meet requirements specified in the Annexes of the Horizon Europe Work Programme (financial and operational capacity checks).
Consortium Membership	At least one partner in the consortium must be a member of either Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research (for large-scale demonstration and flagship topics).
Project Scope and KPIs	Project must address: development and demonstration of innovative small-scale hydrogen liquefaction (system or submodules), technical and economic improvements at scale (at least >500 kg/day), specific power consumption below 12 kWh/kg at 500 kg/day. Target liquefaction cost: around €3.5/kg for small-scale units (1 tpd). Projects should achieve TRL 4 at start and TRL 6 by end.
Eligible Actions	Research, development, prototype demonstration, techno-economic analysis, conceptual design optimisation, business model definition, and regulatory/circularity aspects.
Subcontracting	Subcontracted work may only be performed in EU Member States and Associated Countries.
Intellectual Property Standards Reporting	Beneficiaries must inform the granting authority up to 4 years after the action if results could contribute to European or international standards (where relevant).
Lump Sum	Eligible costs are reimbursed as lump sums as defined in the Horizon Europe Lump Sum Model Grant Agreement.
Documentation	https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-02-04

Eligible expenses

Evaluation criteria

Business exclusions

Reporting

Application process

Application requirements