International Energy Agency (IEA)

Progress with Large-Scale First-of-a-Kind Projects

The IEA outlined its “races to first” initiative tracking 18 first-of-a-kind large-scale energy projects—ranging from solid-state air conditioning and small modular reactors to multi-source CO2 storage and carbon-free flight—through four phases from testing to commercial-scale demonstration. The 2025 State of Energy Innovation report says about 50 technologies advance readiness each year, with three race projects moving a phase last year but others delayed by weaker markets, funding squeezes and emergency interventions for under-construction facilities like near-zero-emission steel and direct air capture. Speakers stressed that crossing the finish line requires not just tech and finance but regulatory clarity, permitting, supply chains, infrastructure and societal acceptance, and showcased Port of Rotterdam’s Portals CO2 transport-and-storage hub as a frontrunner. The session emphasized sharing lessons, policy support and new funding models to help more contenders reach commercial milestones before 2030.