European cross-border infrastructure PCIs and PMIs allocated €1.2bn
Image: DG Energy
The European Commission has allocated almost €1.25 billion ($1.3 billion) to 41 cross-border energy infrastructure projects with Project of Common Interest and Mutual Interest (PCI, PMI) status.
Overall, the allocation from the Connecting Europe Facility – the largest in terms of applications received and funding awarded, and the first to include hydrogen and offshore electricity grid projects – is for five works proposals and 36 studies.
The largest tranche, nearly €750 million ($769 million) of the funding is earmarked for eight electricity grid projects including offshore and smart electricity grids.
The largest grant, of €645 million ($661 million), is allocated to the Bornholm Energy Island project of the TSOs Energinet and 50Hertz for the construction of a first-of-a-kind DC hybrid interconnector with a ‘hub’ on Bornholm linking Denmark and Germany with 3GW of offshore windfarm capacity in the Baltic Sea.
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The Danube InGrid smart grid project between Hungary and Slovakia is another allocation for construction works with almost €33 million ($34 million) to digitalise the grid and roll out other infrastructure in the cross border areas to enable the integration of renewable energy and more efficient balancing of the system.
In this category the other six projects, located in Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Slovakia, and Spain, will receive grants for support studies.
Hydrogen and CCS infrastructure
Hydrogen infrastructure, the largest category by number of projects, receives over €250 million ($256 million) for 21 development studies, indicating its importance but also its relative nascency.
The grants are intended for projects in Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
Among them is the BarMar-H2med interconnector between Spain and France, the backbone projects in Italy, Portugal and Spain, and the hydrogen corridors and routes in the Baltic region.
An amount of €250 million ($256 million) also is allocated for 12 projects for CO2 infrastructure, among them nine preparatory studies and the other three construction works.
The Prinos offshore storage project in northern Greece is awarded almost €120 million ($123 million) and is set to establish the first carbon capture and storage value chain in the south-eastern Mediterranean region.
The North Sea L10 Aramis CO2 storage facility on the Dutch continental shelf for emitters in the hinterland of the Rotterdam harbour area is awarded €55 million ($56 million) and the Norne CO2 facility in Denmark for emitters in northern Europe receives almost €12 million.
Dan Jørgensen, commissioner for Energy and Housing, said these energy infrastructure projects make a key contribution to building the energy union.
“Once completed, the successful projects will boost our efforts to decarbonise our economies and societies, integrating our energy markets and safeguarding our industry’s competitiveness.”
In the coming weeks the formal adoption of the award decision will be made and grant agreements will then be prepared.
As these awards have been announced, consultation on candidates for the next list of PCIs and PMIs has been opened with a 25 April 2025 deadline and release of the list by the end of the year.
