This report presents a cross-sectoral assessment of 12 industrial decarbonisation projects across Europe’s energy-intensive industries, based on interviews with the project coordinators. It examines a diverse portfolio of technological solutions, including carbon capture, renewable and bio-based fuels, circular material substitution, industrial symbiosis, and advanced resource recovery systems. Drawing on projects at different stages of technological and commercial maturity, the analysis identifies common barriers and enabling conditions shaping their pathway to large-scale deployment. The findings show that while technological feasibility is increasingly established, scaling remains constrained by regulatory complexity, infrastructure dependencies, financing risks for first-of-a-kind installations, and limited market demand for low-carbon products. Successful projects combine technical innovation with coordinated stakeholder engagement, supportive public frameworks, and viable business models. By synthesising practical lessons from real deployment contexts, the report highlights priority actions in policy alignment, infrastructure planning, and investment de-risking needed to accelerate industrial transformation. It provides evidence-based insights to support the EU’s climate neutrality objectives while strengthening industrial competitiv5eness and strategic autonomy.

COFFANO Chiara;  TOKTAROVA Alla;  FERREIRA DE ALMEIDA Vanessa;  MARTINEZ CASTILLA Guillermo;  MARMIER Alain; 

MOYA Jose; 

2026-07-24

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC146712

978-92-68-42034-8 (online),   

1831-9424 (online),   

EUR 40785,    OP KJ-01-26-310-EN-N (online),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC146712,   

10.2760/5844103 (online),