The European Commission (EC) has confirmed the sixth list of Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) of the European Union (EU), which are key cross-border infrastructure projects that link the energy systems of EU countries.
The 166 projects on the list, which have been identified to help achieve the ambitious energy and climate objectives of the European Green Deal, will benefit from streamlined permit-granting and regulatory support. The projects are also eligible for EU financing from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), according to a news release Monday from the EC.
The new list includes projects connecting the energy networks of EU countries and, for the first time, projects of mutual interest (PMIs) with non-EU countries, according to the release. The EC published the list in the Official Journal of the European Union. The projects are identified every two years following extensive stakeholder consultation in regional groups, according to the EC.
Over half of the selected projects are electricity, offshore and smart electricity grid projects, with many expected to be commissioned between 2027 and 2030. These projects will enable EU countries to reach their goal of installing 111 gigawatts (GW) of offshore renewable energy by 2030 and more than 300 GW by 2050 as well as rapid electrification as underlined in the revised TEN-E Regulation and will help to double renewable electricity production, the EC said.
Further, 65 hydrogen and electrolyzer projects are included in the list to help decarbonize EU industry as it replaces the use of natural gas with hydrogen and biomethane in the gas system. The list also features 14 carbon dioxide (CO2) network projects in line with EU goals to create a market for carbon capture and storage.
The rapid implementation of the 85 projects on electricity transmission, storage and smart grid cross-border is supported by the European Grid Action Plan, which sets out ways to remove bottlenecks and roll out grids for the energy transition in a faster and more efficient way, the EC noted.
Two Snam Projects Selected
Italy’s Snam SPA is a partner in two of the identified projects: the SoutH2Corridor and Callisto Mediterranean CO2 Network projects, the company said in a statement.
The SoutH2 Corridor is a hydrogen pipeline corridor being developed by Snam and transmission system operators (TSOs) Trans Austria Gasleitung (TAG), Gas Connect Austria (GCA) in Austria, and bayernets in Germany.
The Italian H2 Backbone is a crucial building block of the SoutH2 Corridor, according to Snam. It is comprised of approximately 2050 miles (3,300 kilometers) of pipelines and several hundred megawatts of compression capacity, expected to become hydrogen-dedicated assets, the company said.
The development of the SoutH2 Corridor, which is part of the European Hydrogen Backbone, is fundamental for the development of an interconnected and diversified hydrogen backbone in Southern and Central Europe. With a hydrogen import capacity of 4 million metric tons per annum from North Africa, the corridor could deliver more than 40 percent of the overall import target set by the REPowerEU Plan, according to the statement.
The Callisto (CArbon LIquefaction transportation and STOrage) Mediterranean CO2 Network is anchored on the Ravenna CCS storage hub of Eni SPA and Snam. Callisto aims to develop a CCS value chain in southwestern Europe. Callisto includes the collection and transportation both onshore and offshore via shipping of CO2 from emitters in Italy and France with the relevant regasification and liquefaction hubs located in Italy and France for the final storage at the Ravenna CCS Hub in Italy. The storage site is estimated to have a capacity of 500 million metric tons of CO2. The project is expected to start operations in 2027.
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