The European Commission has adopted the sixth list of Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) and Projects of Mutual Interest (PMIs). The list contains key cross-border infrastructure projects intended to help the EU achieve its ambitious energy and climate targets.
The list marks several firsts. It is the first list since the revision of the Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) Regulation, which ends support for fossil fuel infrastructure and focuses on the cross-border energy infrastructure of the future.
It is therefore the first list to be in line with the European Green Deal. Previously, the list included Projects of Common Interest, which are projects located within the EU. This year, however, it also includes, for the first time, Projects of Mutual Interest, which connect the EU with other countries.
Hydrogen now also included on the list
Last but not least, it is the first list to include hydrogen projects. Specifically, there are 65 of them, and they are expected to play an important role in enabling the integration of energy systems and decarbonisation of EU industry.
Of the 166 selected Projects of Common Interest, 85 concern conventional, offshore or smart electricity grids, with many of them expected to be commissioned between 2027 and 2030.
The list also includes 14 CO2 infrastructure projects, in line with the objective of creating a market for carbon capture and storage.
The list also includes eight projects involving the Czech Republic. Two concern the development of hydrogen networks. Six concern the electricity system, while five of them were already on the previous PCI list and retained their position.
Completion as soon as possible
The aim is for the projects to be completed as soon as possible, enabling them to contribute to doubling the capacity of the EU electricity system by 2030 and meeting the target of 42.5% renewable energy. This is also supported by the fact that the projects will benefit from streamlined permitting and regulatory procedures and will become eligible for EU financial support from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
The list must still be approved by the European Parliament and the Council. Both bodies have two months to approve or reject the list in its entirety. They cannot amend it. The deadline may be extended by a further two months if necessary.
Once the list is adopted, the Commission will work with project promoters and Member States to support the swift implementation of this list of projects in line with the reinforced measures proposed today in the EU Action Plan for Grids.
This article is a machine translation of the Czech original and has not yet been fully reviewed. In case of any doubt, please refer to the Czech version.
