Eligible projects fall into three categories: electrified technologies such as heat pumps, thermal storage and electric boilers; direct renewable heat from solar, thermal or geothermal sources; and, for the first time in this second round, nuclear technologies such as small modular reactors, alongside expanded eligibility down to process heat above 80°C rather than the previous 100°C threshold. Successful bidders receive a fixed subsidy proportional to the CO2 emissions they abate, paid for up to five years, and the auction is open to projects of any size across the European Economic Area in sectors including chemicals, pulp and paper, steel, food and beverage, and cement, all of which rely on process-heating equipment supplied by industrial machinery manufacturers. For equipment makers serving these sectors, a first auction round already selected 65 projects, giving a working precedent for what kind of process-heat retrofit or new-build technology gets funded, and national information webinars are being organised through October across most Member States to help potential applicants prepare bids before the window opens.

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