On 26 February 2025 European Commission presented two documents: Clean Industrial Deal and Affordable Energy Action Plan. The Clean Industrial Deal is the EU’s roadmap for competitiveness and decarbonisation, aiming to support energy-intensive industries and clean-tech sectors while ensuring Europe remains a global industrial leader.

Key components of the Deal, which are of interest to our energy & turbomachinery community are:

• Increase access to affordable energy – largely based on the Affordable Energy Action Plan:
  • Support for energy-intensive industries to transition to clean energy.
  • Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and financial guarantees to lower costs.
  • Investments in smart grids, interconnections, and energy storage.
• Boost clean product supply and demand:
  • Priority sectors: hydrogen, carbon capture, and electrified industrial processes.
  • Public procurement and private incentives for low-carbon products.
  • Expansion of the Hydrogen Bank and support for industrial carbon management.
• Finance clean transition – through Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework, Innovation Fund, Industrial Decarbonisation Bank & InvestEU regulation:
  • Creation of an Industrial Decarbonisation Bank (€100 billion) to fund clean industrial projects.
  • Expanded Innovation Fund for decarbonisation technologies.
  • EIB-backed programs for clean tech and manufacturing scale-up.
• Empower circularity – implementing Critical Raw Materials Act and Circular Economy Act:
  • Target to increase circular material use from 11.8% to 24% by 2030.
  • New EU-wide Circular Economy Act to enhance secondary material use.
  • Support for remanufacturing and recycling, reducing raw material dependency.
• Strengthen EU competitiveness:
  • Measures to counter unfair global competition (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, trade defence tools).
  • Strategic procurement of critical raw materials within the EU.
  • Focus on clean energy trade agreements and supply chain diversification.

The Clean Industrial Deal presents opportunities for ETN Global members to access funding, lower energy costs, and improve sustainability while strengthening their competitive edge in the clean energy transition.

Download the full Clean Industrial Deal document here.