The European Commission has opened three new funding programmes worth a combined €5.2 billion, financed from EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) revenues. The support package includes a €2.9bn call for net-zero technologies, a €1.3bn hydrogen production auction, and the EU’s first-ever €1bn auction for decarbonising industrial process heat.
According to the Commission, the funding aims to accelerate progress towards the EU’s 2030 climate targets and climate neutrality by 2050. It will also support the implementation of the Clean Industrial Deal and the Net-Zero Industry Act, both of which influence the wider transport and logistics ecosystem.
Net-zero technologies: support for batteries, hydrogen equipment and storage
The €2.9bn Net-Zero Technologies call is open to projects across energy-intensive industries, renewable energy, storage, industrial carbon management and net-zero mobility. It also includes €1bn specifically for cleantech manufacturing, covering components for renewable energy systems, energy storage, heat pumps and hydrogen production equipment, as well as batteries for electric vehicles.
For hauliers and logistics operators, changes in EU manufacturing support can influence:
- the availability and cost of electric HGV batteries
- the scaling of hydrogen production systems needed for future refuelling corridors
- the pace of infrastructure deployment, especially depot charging and onsite energy solutions
This year’s call also introduces a new feature: SME-only projects receive a bonus point, making it easier for smaller innovators — including firms developing logistics optimisation tools, charging solutions or storage innovations — to secure EU funding.
Hydrogen auctions: long-term price support for renewable and low-carbon hydrogen
The European Hydrogen Bank will run its third auction in 2025, allocating €1.3bn to producers of renewable (RFNBO) and, for the first time, electrolytic low-carbon hydrogen. Selected projects receive a fixed premium per kilogram of hydrogen produced for up to ten years.
The auction also contains a dedicated topic for hydrogen producers supplying maritime or aviation off-takers, sectors expected to generate early, large-scale demand. Higher production volumes could gradually lower hydrogen prices for other users, including heavy-duty road transport as it matures.
Germany and Spain will additionally co-finance projects that meet EU evaluation criteria but do not receive Innovation Fund support due to budget limits. Germany plans to add €1.3bn for hydrogen production feeding into the Danish hydrogen backbone, while Spain will add €415m for hydrogen projects and €50m for industrial heat decarbonisation.
For road transport companies watching hydrogen developments, the auction signals:
- stronger certainty for fuel producers, which can help scale future truck-ready hydrogen supply
- potential acceleration of hydrogen corridors in Germany, Spain and surrounding regions
- growing emphasis on linking transport with industrial hydrogen demand
Industrial process heat: lower-carbon warehousing and processing sites
The EU’s first Industrial Process Heat Auction allocates €1bn to electrified or renewable process heat solutions, such as industrial heat pumps, electric boilers, induction heating, plasma systems, solar thermal or geothermal installations.
Although focused primarily on manufacturing, the scheme is relevant for logistics real estate and temperature-controlled supply chains. Operators running cold storage, food processing lines or energy-intensive warehouse systems may benefit indirectly as:
- low-carbon heat technologies become cheaper and more scalable,
- facility operators face pressure to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and
- decarbonised sites become a requirement in customer tenders.
With warehousing and logistics real estate increasingly included in large shippers’ climate strategies, the shift towards electrified and renewable heat could influence future investment decisions and facility upgrades across Europe.
Why this matters for hauliers and logistics operators
Although the Innovation Fund does not directly subsidise the purchase of trucks, these programmes shape the ecosystem that road transport depends on. The funding will influence:
1. The cost and availability of zero-emission trucks
More EU manufacturing support for batteries, hydrogen systems and storage technologies increases supply security and may stabilise long-term pricing.
2. The development of hydrogen refuelling corridors
Long-term price support for hydrogen producers is essential to making hydrogen-based heavy-duty transport viable. Germany’s and Spain’s additional national funds further strengthen regional rollouts.
3. Access to cleaner energy at depots and logistics hubs
Lower-cost electrified and renewable heat solutions make it easier for logistics sites to decarbonise, supporting operators preparing for emissions reporting, customer audits or green procurement requirements.
4. Opportunities for transport SMEs developing innovative tech
The SME bonus point in the Net-Zero Technologies call offers better chances for small companies involved in charging, energy management, fleet optimisation or storage solutions.
5. The wider policy context affecting future compliance
The Innovation Fund is closely linked to upcoming road transport regulations — including AFIR, new CO₂ standards for trucks and ETS 2 for fuels. These calls form part of the financial support structure enabling those policies.
Timelines
- Net-Zero Technologies call (grants): open until 23 April 2026, 17:00 CET
- Hydrogen and Heat auctions: open until 19 February 2026, 17:00 CET
- Grant agreements: expected from late 2026 to early 2027
