In 2050, France should have reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by a factor of four. Meeting this challenging goal will require the development of new energy technology. To give innovation an additional thrust, ADEME leads and manages the Research Demonstration Fund that was the focus of the ADEME Innovation Forum last 23 June.

Renewable energy, low-energy transport systems, CO₂ capture and storage, smart grids, etc.: the range of applications under the Research Demonstration Fund is vast. Created in 2008, this fund has a budget of 325 million euros for the 2009-2012 period. “The aim of the fund is to validate technology still under development in laboratories by producing prototype systems that are sufficiently large to be representative of the service conditions in an industrial environment”, explains Régis Le Bars, Head of the Research and Advanced Technology Department, managing the Research Demonstration Fund at ADEME. To determine the research priorities, the Agency has brought in experts from various fields. Their joint work has been used to write “strategic roadmaps” prior to launching calls for expressions of interest (CEI) targeting scientific bodies and companies. Three CEIs were published in 2008. Eleven projects were retained from the proposals for low greenhouse gas-emitting vehicles. Under the Automobile Pact announced in February 2009, ADEME published a further CEI regarding this topic and selected an additional eleven projects. Two projects for the development of a second-generation biofuels and four programmes relative to CO₂ capture and storage have also been accepted. In all, a total budget of 175 million euros was committed in 2009 under the Demonstration Fund.

Synergie between parties
The second wave of CEIs, published in 2009, is currently being examined. It deals with renewable marine energies (floating offshore wind energy, tidal turbines, marine current turbines and marine thermal energy) and smart electricity grids and systems incorporating renewable energy. “The results of the first phase of the Demonstration Fund have been very positive, fostering bridges between pure research and industrial applications”, adds Régis Le Bars. Another advantage of the Demonstration Fund is that it provides a framework for technological and financial risk-taking for research well before market release. In order to pave the way for the future of energy, the 2009-2010 roadmaps concentrated on six topics: positive and low-carbon energy buildings, thermodynamic solar energy, photovoltaic cells and systems, mobility systems, and energy storage and charging infrastructure. By the end of the current year, these research programmes may access “Investments for the Future” funds that will take over from the Demonstration Funds.