To achieve the aim of the topic, a systematic approach will be developed and applied to select H2020 results and owners, to support the project development and finally to derive Innovation Fund-ready projects. The ETS Innovation Fund (IF) fosters low-carbon processes and technologies – and many results from H2020 provide promising solutions to be deployed. However, translating R&D results into products and processes and developing viable business cases is a major effort. Beyond that, it is a further great step to mobilise investors and stakeholders to make the projects fly. The IF regulations are challenging for the industry. To cope with all challenges related to the project development and preparation phase of future IF projects, DIAMONDS4IF is designed to a) securing the viability and readiness of the projects, b) enabling applicants to prepare IF applications, c) developing a comprehensive approach towards stakeholders, investors, the public, and across the value chain, d) creating understanding of and preparing compliance with relevant regulations, guidelines, and framework conditions and e) solving questions and challenges arising from the project planning in line with funding requirements and award criteria. Through exemplary work on specific use cases in the field of renewable energy, a toolbox with the necessary methods and tools will be developed and applied. One of the major outputs of the project will be at least 5 sound proposals including the detailed plans for scalability, commercialisation, and financial models to be presented to the IF. Over the medium term, DIAMONDS4IF will develop and nurture a continuous innovation pipeline from H2020 innovations to deployment, which will exploit the synergies between the programmes. The use cases will e.g. directly implement REPower and climate relevant projects, comprising for example ~100MW offshore hybrid energy; 1.5GW of PV manufacturing capacity; 10GW of resource-efficient wafer production in Europe.

PILATUS is a 3-year project aiming to demonstrate by 2025 three digitalised pilot lines for the production in Europe of silicon wafers, solar cells, and modules. PILATUS will leverage on the patented and already proven back-contacted silicon heterojunction “tunnel-IBC” technology to ensure achieving its ambitious targets. PILATUS will prove a production capacity of 15 MW for M10 silicon wafers in Norway using polysilicon from Europe and demonstrate the feasibility of an expansion to 5 GW wafer production capacity. PILATUS’ PV module pilot line will reach a minimum of 170 MW of annual production capacity, accompanied with 190 MW cell capacity that by itself adds 30% to the current total capacity for PV cell production in Europe. Combining inline metrology and outdoor monitoring with the support of Industry 4.0 concepts all along the production chain, the cells and modules fabricated on PILATUS’ pilot lines will be analysed and feedback provided to the manufacturing process to ensure reaching ≥ 90 % yield at the end of the project. With the goal to establish PV modules with high durability, PILATUS targets to demonstrate the way towards > 40 years product lifetime by gaining fundamental insights into the degradation mechanisms and providing mitigation solutions thanks to the inline and outdoor metrology units that will be developed in the scope of the project. Further, PILATUS will prove a reduced environmental footprint compared to current technologies by demonstrating modules fully made from recycled materials, eco-design practices to facilitate the dismantling of PV panels, and manufacturing plants compliant with environmental standards. In short, PILATUS will contribute to re-building a “made in Europe”, leading-edge, competitive PV industry with the entire value chain been retained in Europe, compliant to the latest environmental standards, hence fostering the affordability, the security of supply, and the sustainability of the future EU low-carbon energy system.