EU funding opportunities for waste heat recovery: key insights and challenges

Waste heat recovery (WHR), which is key to improving energy efficiency and a way to achieve sustainable energy development, faces significant barriers, primarily financial, due to high costs, lack of proper business models, and regulatory complexities. Funding for WHR can come from both private and public sources. The European Union offers a variety of financial support mechanisms for projects focusing on renewable energy, particularly WHR, which plays a significant role in the green and digital transition. The purpose of the article is to emphasise the significance of funding opportunities for waste heat recovery. The analysis focuses on addressing the following questions: (1) What types of WHR projects can be financed through EU funds? (2) Are the available EU funding sources for WHR easily accessible and transparent? The article has a descriptive analysis approach.