France: R&D programme on Energy (ADEME)

ADEME is a state-driven agency. Programme on Energy is developed under the auspices of the ministry of Research and the ministries of Environment and Industry.

ADEME's research objectives in the field of energy aim at significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. its R&D programme on energy lays out a master plan to mobilise the scientific and engineering community on a series of objectives presented in four key actions.

• to develop alternatives to fossils fuels (renewable energies, low carbon content energy carries)
• to use energy rationally in transportation, commercial and residential sectors, and industry.
• to reduce emissions of  CO₂, N₂O, CFC’s  in industrial processes, in transportation an in commercial and residential sectors
• to study and develop CO₂  sequestration

Innovative energy research is an integral part of ADEME's master plan programme as illustrated by recent R&D projects on organic photovoltaics, advanced nano-materials for energy storage, advanced concepts for hydrogen production and CO₂ capture. The R&D Programme on Energy started in 2005 and will operate until 2010. The total annual budget of the R&D programme on energy is 30 M€. The amount of budget dedicated to inovative energy research is estimated to be 15% of this total. This concerns 10 projects per year, mostly implemented by research institutes and universities. As ADEME stresses the importance of industrial partnerships, private companies supports 15 to 50% of each project. Selection of projects is carried out through a panel of experts and the final decision is taken by ADEME.

The CNRS launched a new programme on energy in 2002 (http://www.cnrs.fr/DEP/prg/ Energie.html and http://www.imp.cnrs.fr/energie/) and its first call of proposals in 2002. The programme should enable the proposal of technological solutions leading to a renewed approach in the use of different energy sources, none being exclusive a priori: fossil energy, renewable energy, nuclear energy, and the integration, from the start, of research in the field of human and social sciences. The setting up of the programme in 2002 led to the structuring of: Thematic Action Groups (GAT) and Integrated Research Programmes (PI) relating to 12 themes (see website above). These actions thus made it possible to create the interdisciplinary approach sought to lead to concrete results and to industrial partnership, essential to technological development. The scientific communities centre around 5 themes: new resources, conversions, energy vectors, uses and Socio-economy

(http://www.cnrs.fr/DEP/doc/prog2003_en.pdf).

Since 2003, the French Ministry of Research and the CNRS have jointly launched two other calls for proposals within the framework of a Concerted Initiative Action (ACI) on Sustainable development and Energy.

The total annual budget of the programme is around 3.5 MEuros. The amount dedicated to innovative energy research is estimated to be 90 % of this total. This concerns around 25 projects per year, mostly implemented by research institutes, universities, SMEs and large companies. Selection of projects is carried out through a panel of academic and industrial experts.

The CNRS-SPI department Board has the responsibility of the CNRS Energy programme and Prof. JB Saulnier is involved in the Programme Board. The CNRS, “Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique” (French National Centre for Scientific Research) is a public organisation for scientific and technological research and is under the authority of the Ministry for Research. CNRS manages research programmes with or on behalf of a Ministry.