The European Commission has opened a second call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) to help finance key trans-European energy infrastructure projects.
Up to €600 million will be made available for this call with priority given to projects of common interest and related actions increasing competitiveness, enhancing the EU’s security of energy supply, contributing to sustainable development and protection of the environment, EC informed.
The deadline to submit applications is November 8, 2016, with a decision on the selection of proposals to be funded expected by March 2017.
Maroš Šefčovič , Vice-President for the Energy Union, said: “Cross-border energy connections are at the heart of the Energy Union. They make us stronger together in the EU. With this CEF call we provide new investment opportunities for cleaner and smarter energy infrastructures.”
Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete , said: “The Paris Agreement sent a clear signal that the clean energy transition is here to stay. The Commission is committed to support this transition and invest where it is needed. The proposals will become the building blocks of this larger energy transformation, help connect the existing energy infrastructure across Europe, and bring significant benefits to our economy and our climate.”
In order to apply for a grant, EC informed, a project has to be on the list of ‘projects of common interest’ (PCI) published on November 18, 2015, which consists of 195 key energy infrastructure projects.
EU financing for energy infrastructure under the CEF is €5.35 billion for the period 2014-2020.