Berlin (gtai) - Renewable energy and energy efficiency are at the heart of a broadened approach to granting funding for applied research announced by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy under the federal government's 6th Energy Research Programme.

For the first time, funding under the "Research for an environmentally sound, reliable and affordable energy supply" schedule is being disbursed across the entire energy chain: from energy provision, conversion, transport, distribution, and storage through to energy use in, for example, industrial applications and buildings.

Energy Mountain' Georgswerder | © mediaserver.hamburg.de/photoacademy GmbH

Under the extended program, applied research projects carried out by businesses in all technological fields related to energy (except biomass) as well as system integration and energy system analysis projects can receive financing for up to 50 percent of their eligible costs. SMEs may be entitled to higher rates while projects carried out by universities and research institutes can be financed up to 100 percent in exceptional cases.

The all-encompassing approach creates fresh opportunities for interdisciplinary research and aims to increase the international competitiveness of companies in Germany as well as create new high-value jobs.

Thomas Grigoleit, head of energy, environment and resources at Germany Trade & Invest: "Germany's innovative approach to funding applied research into renewables and efficiency illustrates the wide range of opportunities created by the energy transition. It also demonstrates that the government, researchers, and industry are working hand-in-hand to develop new technologies and to optimize the entire spectrum of Germany's Energiewende."

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