Safety of renewable low and zero-carbon waterborne fuels in port areas: risk assessment, regulatory framework, and guidelines for safe bunkering, handling and storage (ZEWT partnership)
EU funding call for a coordination and support project to assess the safety of renewable climate-friendly waterborne fuels in seaports and inland ports. Development of a unified regulatory framework, risk guidelines, and training concepts for safe bunkering, storage, and handling. Application deadline: 14.04.2026.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
The goal is to enhance safety in port areas during the introduction of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen fuels by developing a comprehensive risk assessment procedure, a harmonized regulatory framework, and practical guidelines for safe bunkering, handling, and storage. This is complemented by a strategy for the qualification of port personnel and stakeholders.
Eligible expenses
- Personnel expenses
- External services (research and development)
- Material costs
- Travel and accommodation expenses
- Costs for market consultation
Non-eligible expenses
- Commercial production costs
- Mass production of final products
Eligible to apply
- Public Institutions
- Companies
- Educational Institutions
- Non-profit Organizations
Funding requirements
- Participation of public procurement bodies or commissioned institutions
- Compliance with EU directives for pre-commercial procurement
- EU-wide tendering and competitive procedures
Documents required for application
- Application form (HE CSA Application Form)
- Detailed budget plan
- Market consultation report
- Proof of legal entity registration
Evaluation criteria
- Innovative content of the project
- Sustainability aspects
- Relevance for the target group
- Quality of project implementation
Description
The EU funding call offers public institutions, companies, educational providers, and non-profit organizations a unique opportunity to develop safety systems for renewable, low-carbon, and carbon-free hydrogen fuels in seaports and inland ports. Within a coordination and support project, a comprehensive risk assessment procedure will be established, taking into account hazards during the bunkering, storage, and handling of the new energy carriers. Based on a harmonized analysis of existing regulations and a gap analysis, practical guidelines will be developed to enable port authorities, terminal operators, shipping companies, and trade unions to conduct their operations safely. In parallel, a training concept will be created to prepare port personnel and stakeholders for the new technologies. The entire project structure will be aligned with EU directives on pre-commercial procurement and will follow a fair, Europe-wide tendering process.
With a total budget of €2 million and a funding rate of 100%, expenses for personnel, external services in research and development, material costs, as well as travel and accommodation costs will be covered. The project duration will start no earlier than December 18, 2025; applications can be submitted via the EU portal until April 14, 2026. Evaluation criteria include the level of innovation, sustainability aspects, relevance to the target group, and the quality of implementation. Key milestones are the market consultation, the publication of a unified regulatory framework, and the formal adoption of the training materials. The project makes a decisive contribution to energy security, air quality in coastal areas, and the resilience of European waterborne transport infrastructure.
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