Project CACTUS: Enhanced Solar Photovoltaic Performance

Brussels, February 29, 2024, the CACTUS project is an ambitious initiative funded by the European Commission through the European Research Executive Agency (REA), it has recently kicked off in December 2023 with all 9 partners meeting online. This strategic initiative is poised to impact the landscape of solar and photovoltaic technologies while enhancing collaboration between the European Union (EU) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) regions.

The project aims to develop a bi-regional and sustainable ecosystem of complementary RIs, strengthening the knowledge and collaboration between the EU and LAC regions, by enabling the research of solar and photovoltaic technologies adapted to different climate conditions.

By addressing the pressing global challenges associated with energy and climate change, CACTUS is set to play a pivotal role in the green energy transition. The project will provide essential Research and Development (R&D) tools, ensuring the development of reliable, bankable, sustainable, and socially accepted solar technologies. CACTUS is committed to both mitigating and adapting to the challenges posed by climate change, aligning with the broader mission of advancing environmentally conscious solutions.

The project has 6 main objectives: Elevate Research Infrastructures (RI); Optimize Portfolio of Services; Establish Common Data Protocols; Advance Techno-Economic and Sustainable Assessment; Promote Bi-Regional Cooperation; Facilitate Scientific Collaboration.

The consortium is composed by 9 partners from 4 EU member states (France, Belgium, Italy and Spain) and 2 Latin American countries (Chile and Colombia). The consortium is composed of reference research institutes and industrial players, covering key roles along the PV value chain: Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Institut Max Von Laue – Paul Langevin, EURAC, TECNALIA, Becquerel Institute, European Solar Research Infrastructure For Concentrated Solar Power (EU SOLARIS), ATAMOSTEC and Universidad Nacional de Colombia.