POWERBASE
OMC event

12.06.2025
in Brussels, Belgium

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Low-Emission Power Supply for Emergency Shelters And Bases Of Operation

Paving the way towards highly innovative low-emission emergency response operations

Facilitating the green transition of emergency response organisations

Providing the foundation for future procurement of low-emission energy solutions

Recent floodings, earthquakes and wildfires have led to large-scale emergency rescue operations. As critical infrastructure is often damaged, emergency responders rely on diesel generators for energy supply. The use of diesel leads to greenhouse gas emissions, poor air quality, and generators produce heat, vibrations and sound, and pose safety threats to emergency responders and sheltered people.

The EU-funded POWERBASE project aims to provide the basis for future procurement of green, mobile power supply that meets the needs of emergency responders.

Working from an end-user perspective, POWERBASE will analyse the needs of emergency operations for different disaster situations. The project will map the available technologies and potential new innovations that can meet the needs in future. This will help Emergency Response Organisations to bridge the gap and facilitate the investment in low-emission, reliable, self-sufficient, mobile power supply.

Towards innovative power solutions

POWERBASE is a one-year project, supported by the EU in the framework of the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme with 1 million €. It started on October 1, 2024 and is set to lay the groundwork for the future development and public procurement of low-emission energy solutions tailored to the needs of emergency response organisations. POWERBASE will assess the needs of emergency operations under different circumstances, such as wildfires in very hot climatic conditions, cross-border flooding with a high number of displaced people, and an earthquake scenario in a rural mountainous region.
POWERBASE aims to create a community of European Emergency Response Organisations (EROs) and innovative energy solution providers, mapping requirements and available technologies.
POWERBASE is coordinated by the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief, and brings together eight European Emergency Response Organisations, leading research institutes, procurer organisations and legal experts, as well as management consulting and dissemination experts.

The POWERBASE Concept

Towards procurement of highly innovative low-emission energy solutions

POWERBASE creates the basis for the adoption/uptake of existing and upcoming promising renewable energy technologies that can enable the transition towards a low-emission, reliable, self-sufficient, mobile power supply for Emergency Shelters (ES) and Bases of Operation (BoO) to significantly improve workplace and accommodation conditions of emergency responders and sheltered people, acceptance within local communities and to protect the climate.

Towards procurement of highly innovative low-emission energy solutions
POWERBASE

Better informed decision-making

POWERBASE will enhance decision-making related to investment in innovative security technologies based on a better understanding of the potential EU-based supply of technical alternatives and an improved visibility of the potential demand.

POWERBASE

Increased capacity-building

POWERBASE will strengthen the ability of EU public procurers to align requirements with industry and future products and to attract innovation and innovators through capacity building, training, communication, networking and cross-cluster activities.

POWERBASE

Increased innovation capacity

POWERBASE will contribute to the increased innovation capacity of EU public procurers through the availability of customized tendering guidance, commonly agreed validation strategies and evidence-based prospects of further joint procurement.

POWERBASE

Evidence-based knowledge

POWERBASE will enable effective & efficient evidence and knowledge-based development of EU civil security capabilities based on a stronger, more systematic & analysis-intensive renewable energy technology research & innovation cycle.

POWERBASE

Increased cooperation demand

POWERBASE will enhance cooperation (incl. synergy-building) between demand and supply market actors across domains,  fostering industrialization, commercialization and successful deployment of innovative renewable energy technologies.

POWERBASE

Mitigation of climate change

By facilitating the green transition of emergency response operations, POWERBASE will help mitigate climate change, increase safety and improve the living conditions for displaced people and disaster response practitioners.

„Under the European Climate Law, the EU aims to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by at least 55% by 2030, and become climate-neutral by 2050. To face the reality of the future and to be able to fulfil our duties in civil protection at the same time, we need innovative procurement tools like POWERBASE. This project will enable a step change in the green transition of emergency response organisations and significantly improve the working and accommodation conditions during disaster response“

Sabine Lackner

President, German Federal Agency for Technical Relief

„The POWERBASE project exemplifies a forward-thinking approach to tackling some of the most pressing challenges of our time—climate change, sustainability, and the imperative to reduce COâ‚‚ emissions. By laying the foundation for low-emission energy solutions tailored to the needs of emergency response organizations, POWERBASE addresses both immediate and future demands for resilient, sustainable power supplies. This project not only aligns with the European Union’s ambitious climate goals but also creates a unique collaborative platform where emergency response organizations and energy innovators can join forces to drive sustainable transformation across Europe.“

Prof. Dr. Dr. Michael Lauster

Director, Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis INT

Want to find out more

For more information and questions about the POWERBASE project, contact us via our contact form or engage with us on LinkedIn. You can also sign up for  news alerts or join our community.

POWERBASE