EU Adds Carbon Removal to Accelerator Challenges
The European Innovation Council's 2027 Accelerator Challenges name carbon removal and utilization as a priority area for the first time.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Electric Vehicles
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EISMEA has named carbon removal and utilization a priority in the 2027 EIC Accelerator Challenges, with an indicative budget of €50 million to support selected solutions. The call lists four priority areas, and carbon removal appears among them for the first time in this edition.
Why it matters
The move signals the European Union's intent to back technologies that contribute to its climate targets and strengthen the resilience of industrial value chains. Selected developers would gain a route to test carbon removal technologies at industrial scale.
The 2027 Accelerator Challenges carry an indicative budget of €50 million (about $55 million) across four priority areas, including carbon removal and utilization. Eligible pathways range from DACCS and BioCCS to biochar, enhanced rock weathering, and MRV tools, while hydrogen production is excluded.
The players
European Innovation Council (EIC)
The EIC is the European Union's flagship program for funding high-risk, high-potential innovation through its Accelerator scheme.
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union that proposed the EU CRCF Buyers' Club to aggregate demand for certified carbon removals.
The details
Eligible pathways include DACCS, BioCCS, biochar, enhanced rock weathering, direct ocean capture, alkalinity enhancement, CO2 mineralization in products, carbon capture and utilization technologies, and MRV tools. Storing captured fossil CO2 as a gas without chemical transformation is not considered under this Challenge.
Timeline
2027: The Accelerator Challenges with the carbon removal priority take effect.
Roadmap
The carbon removal priority builds on the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulation, which created a certification framework for removal units. Linking that framework to EIC funding and the proposed EU CRCF Buyers' Club is an attempt to create demand alongside supply.
Developers working on carbon capture, utilization, or MRV tools can apply for up to the €50 million indicative pool under the 2027 call. Access to the EU CRCF Buyers' Club may help selected projects find private buyers for carbon removal units.
The takeaway
Carbon removal is moving from research into funded commercial pilots at the EU level. Developers should track certification rules and buyer networks alongside grant calls to judge viability.
Further reading
Explore more on Electric Vehicles for context on how the EU is shaping clean-technology investment.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Carbon Herald.
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