Leveraging Carbon Contracts for Difference – Fraunhofer ISC as R&D Partner for Industrial Transformation

The German Carbon Contracts for Difference (Klimaschutzverträge), recently approved by the EU with a funding volume of 5 billion euros, mark a significant step towards the transformation of energy-intensive industries in Europe. They create investment opportunities for the adoption of climate-neutral production processes, particularly by offsetting economic risks and additional costs.

However, the path to climate-neutral production requires not only investment but also well-founded decisions about which technologies are suitable, scalable, and economically viable for each specific process. Fraunhofer ISC provides the scientific basis for these decisions and supports companies from technology assessment through to industrial implementation.

Our Services for Industrial Companies

At Fraunhofer ISC, we support companies and partners throughout this transformation – including through:

• Research and development projects for the assessment of technologies for the decarbonization of industrial processes, e.g. optimization of high-temperature processes, improvement of resource efficiency, or testing of oil/gas-free production pathways (H₂, ammonia, electrification, plasma).
• Investigations into the interaction of products and processes with potential alternative energy carriers.
• Studies on piloting, demonstration, validation, and scale-up.
• Adaptation of established key technologies to specific process requirements (e.g. catalysis, CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage), CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilization), circular economy, and process intensification).
• Modeling and verification of processes and equipment for the use of digital twins.
• Expansion of digital production through complementary automation of downstream process steps.
• Transfer and optimization of thermal processes with regard to product quality and resource efficiency.
• Accompanying material and process analytics as well as modeling to ensure product quality.
• Contributions to techno-economic assessment during and after transformation (e.g. process models, risk and scenario analyses, sustainability assessments, raw material demand).

Why Fraunhofer ISC as a Project Partner?

With our expertise in inorganic materials and processes, we bring key competencies to support industrial decarbonization:

• Interdisciplinary Expertise
  Chemistry, materials science, and process engineering under one roof – for challenges that no single discipline can solve alone.
• Interface between Research and Industry
  Fraunhofer ISC works application-oriented, from the scientific foundation to industrial feasibility.
• Independent Technology Assessment
  As a research institution, we evaluate technology options objectively and on a sound scientific basis – without ties to specific manufacturers or solutions.
• Extensive Project Experience
  Proven collaboration with energy-intensive industries, including glass, ceramics, chemicals, and metal processing.

Get in touch – we are available for an initial technical assessment and support you from technology evaluation and process development through to proposal preparation.

Contact us now