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Energy

Strategic Energy Technology Plan

The European Strategic Energy Technology Plan aims to accelerate the deployment of green technologies.

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The European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) is a key stepping-stone to boost the transition towards a climate-neutral energy system through the development of low-carbon technologies in a fast and cost-competitive way.

The SET Plan was established in 2007 and since the creation of the energy union in 2015, it became one of the main instruments of the energy union’s 5th pillar on research, innovation and competitiveness.

By improving new technologies and bringing down their costs through coordinated national research efforts, the SET Plan helps promote cooperation among EU countries, companies and research institutions. It does so by helping to coordinate national research and innovation activities in developing low-carbon energy among EU countries and associated countries, as well as aligning national research and innovation programmes with its agenda.

Revision of the SET Plan

    Key action areas

    The SET Plan activities are clustered into 10 actions for research and innovation. They address the whole innovation chain, from research to market uptake, and tackle both financing and regulatory frameworks

    • integrating renewable technologies in the energy systems
    • reducing costs of technologies
    • new technologies and services for consumers
    • resilience and security of energy systems
    • new materials and technologies for buildings
    • energy efficiency for the industry
    • competitiveness in the global battery sector and e-mobility
    • renewable fuels and bioenergy
    • carbon capture and storage
    • nuclear safety

    These actions are implemented by 14 Implementation Working Groups (IWGs), each focusing on one key technology.

    Governance

    The SET Plan is led by the SET Plan Steering Group and Bureau. Each of the 14 IWGs establishes and regularly updates an implementation plan with specific goals for their focus technology. The IWGs are supported by European Technology and Innovation Platforms (ETIPs), the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) and ad-hoc project support.

    The SET Plan Steering Group consists of high-level representatives from the EU and associated countries. The Bureau supports its work with the preparation of internal meetings and discussions.

    It ensures a better alignment between different research and innovation programmes at the EU and national levels, as well as the SET Plan priorities. It also increases cooperation between national programmes to avoid duplication and heightens the impact of public investment.

    Coordination and support

    European Technology and Innovation Platforms

    The European Technology and Innovation Platforms (ETIPs) were created to support the implementation of the SET Plan by bringing together EU countries, industry, and researchers in key areas. They promote the market uptake of key energy technologies by pooling funding, skills, and research facilities.

    Eleven out of fourteen IWGs have a corresponding ETIP:

    European Energy Research Alliance

    The European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) aims to accelerate new energy technology development by cooperation on pan-European programmes. It brings together more than 250 research organisations from 30 countries, involved in 18 joint programmes. EERA plays an important role in promoting coordination among energy researchers along the SET Plan objectives and in the technology transfer to the industry.

    Communication and monitoring

    The SET Plan has several communication and monitoring tools, which are listed and described below.

    Documents

    15 SEPTEMBER 2015
    Towards an Integrated Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan (C/2015/6317)
    English
    (320.74 KB - PDF)
    Download
    2 MAY 2013
    Investment in the Technologies of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SWD(2013) 157)
    English
    (1.08 MB - PDF)
    Download
    2 MAY 2013
    Technology Assessment (SWD(2013) 158)
    English
    (919.02 KB - PDF)
    Download