Brussels, 28/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 28 July, DG Energy at the European Commission published an updated version of its interactive map of current and completed EU energy infrastructure projects of common public interest (PCIs).
The current PCI list dates back to November 2015 (see EUROPE 11433) and includes 195 key infrastructure projects - 108 projects in the electricity sector, 77 on gas, 7 on oil and 3 on smart networks - which are eligible for EU financial support from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
In order to be eligible, a project needs to meet four requirements: it has to have large benefits for at least two member states; it has to contribute to the integration of energy markets and to greater competition; it must boost energy security for the EU by assuring greater diversification of sources and supply routes by ending the isolation of some member states; and it must help reduce CO2 emissions.
Under the CEF, funding of €5.35 billion has been earmarked to help finance key trans-European energy infrastructure for 2014-2020.
Some €647 million was allocated in 2014 to 34 PCIs (including high-tension power lines, gas pipelines, methane terminals and electricity storage plans) and in €366 million was allocated in 2015 to 35 other PCI (20 in the gas sector and 15 in electricity).
For 2016, €800 million has been allocated to PCIs under the CEF.
On 15 July, the EU member states gave their approval to €263 million for nine PCIs, following the first call for tenders published in March 2016, including €187.5 for construction of the Baltic interconnector - this is the first submarine, two-direction gas pipeline from Estonia to Finland (see EUROPE 11595).
The second call for tenders issued in early July with an indicative budget of €600 million will close on 8 November (see EUROPE 11584).
The interactive map can be consulted at: http://goo.gl/vgC2Yo . (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)