IN LONDON: The European Commission has approved a €400 million ($664.2 million) Greek State aid scheme to support strategic investments that add clean technology manufacturing capacity in line with the aim of the Clean Industrial Deal.
Greece notified the commission of the scheme to support strategic investments that add clean tech manufacturing capacity, contributing to the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal.
The aim of the scheme is to grant aid for investments that add manufacturing capacity for the production of net zero technologies and their main specific components, as well as the production of new or recovered related critical raw materials necessary for the production of the final products or main specific components.
The European Commission says the aid will take the form of direct grants and tax advantages. The measure will open to companies in Greece and may be granted until 31 December 2030.
Greece’s scheme is considered necessary and appropriate to accelerate the transition toward a net zero economy and facilitate the development of certain economic activities.
Europe’s Clean Industrial Deal will mobilise over €100 billion to support EU-made clean manufacturing. The deal focuses on horizontal enablers necessary for a competitive economy, including cutting red tape, fully exploiting the scale of the single market, promoting quality jobs and better coordinating policies at the EU and national levels.
Clean energy
Clean energy technologies include solar, wind turbines, electric vehicles and battery storage systems. In recent decades, the need for these technologies has never been more important.
However, according to the International Energy Agency, clean energy technologies have been slow in end-use sectors. Some progress has been made, notably in the development of electric cars, which accounted for 2.6% of global sales in 2019.
The momentum for critical technologies such as hydrogen and CCUS is also increasing. If the world is to reach net-zero emissions this century, faster progress will be needed in end-use sectors, which accounted for 55% of energy and industry-related CO2 emissions in 2019.
As previously reported, a new study – funded under the Horizon Work Programme 2021-2022 – aimed to increase the alignment of emerging clean energy technologies with the EU’s goals.
The study addresses future clean energy technology sustainability, circularity and contribution to EU resilience and technological autonomy. The study is also aligned with the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal, the Critical Raw Materials Act, and the upcoming Circular Economy Act.
It contains five sector-specific guidelines for application, covering carbon capture, utilisation and storage, energy infrastructure, energy storage, renewable and low carbon fuels, and renewable energy technologies.
As of 2026, the European energy market is characterised by the transition to renewable energy, with wind and solar anticipated to surpass fossil fuels in electricity generation.
According to the European Commission, renewable energy represented 25.2% of energy consumed in the EU as of 2024 – up from 24.6% in 2023.
Sweden has the highest share of renewable energy among EU countries, with 62.8% of its gross final energy consumption coming from renewables in 2024. Sweden primarily relied on solid biomass, hydro and wind.
In recognition of Clean Energy Day this year (26 January), Mining.com.au reported that the urgency for clean tech has become more clear, as global carbon emissions from fossil fuels are projected to reach a record high of 38.1 billion tonnes.
The US alone saw a considerable rise of 2.4% in the nation’s emissions during 2025 due to cold snaps and needing gas heating and increased electricity for data centres, resulting in a reverse of recent declines.
According to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’s (CSIRO), global CO2 emissions from the use of fossil fuels continue to increase and are set to rise by 1.1% in 2025. Emissions from natural gas rose 1.3%, followed by oil (1%), and coal (0.8%).
China is the top emitter, contributing 32% of global CO2 emissions, and will modestly increase by 4%. Emissions from India, contributing 8% globally, are also forecast to increase by 1.4%.The US contributes 13% of global emissions, while the European Union contributes 6%.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: iStock & Clean Energy Day
