RFCS

Is H2020 Programme: 
No
Short Description: 

The Research Fund for Coal & Steel (RFCS) gives funding of over €50 million every year to innovative projects to enhance the safety, efficiency and competitive edge of the EU coal and steel industries.

It was created in 2002 to build on the successes of the European Coal and Steel Community. This visionary common market helped unite nations, reinvigorate the European economy and lay the foundations for the European Union as we know it today.

Investment in research and innovation is vital if the EU coal and steel industries are to remain competitive in an increasingly fierce global market and contribute to economic growth and job creation in all member states.

The Research Fund for Coal & Steel unites researchers from across Europe to work on cutting-edge projects that will benefit not only the EU’s 600,000 coal and steel workers but
all citizens.

Long Description

COAL RESEARCH
As the most affordable fossil fuel and a reliable producer of electricity, coal currently accounts for one third of EU electricity production. Continued technological development can reveal new ways to preserve this valuable resource for future generations.

AIMS OF THE RFCS
• Improve health & safety for mine workers
• Make EU coal competitive
• Make the industry cleaner
• Reduce dependence on external sources of energy

SOME PREVIOUS PROJECTS
• Sensitive fire and hazard warning systems for mines
• Safer, more efficient mining equipment that increased productivity by 55%
• Carbon capture technology to reduce CO2 emissions
• New test facility to research ways to best use limited EU coal deposits

STEEL RESEARCH
Prized for its versatility and recyclability, steel plays a central role in almost every industry worldwide. As demand increases, research and development is crucial if European steel is to remain at the forefront of innovation within the global industry.

AIMS OF THE RFCS
• Develop new steel-making and finishing techniques
• Research better steel usage
• Conserve resources
• Improve working conditions

SOME PREVIOUS PROJECTS
• Enhanced blast furnaces to increase efficiency and reliability
• Promotion of steel as a sustainable building material
• Technologies to reduce CO2 emissions in the long and short term
• Improvement of fire safety in steel structures

Initial Year: 
2014
Final Year: 
2020

Countries

Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Ireland
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Sweden
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
United Kingdom
Maturity Level (TRL): 
3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Type of Funding: 
Grant Funding

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