The Industry, Research and Energy Committee of the European Parliament has approved the revised TEN-E (Trans-European Networks for Energy) Regulation, which governs cross-border energy infrastructure planning, helps implement projects of common interest (PCIs), and focuses on the upgraded 2030 climate and energy targets and the 2050 climate neutrality objective under the European Green Deal.
The revised TEN-E regulation should focus its support on high-voltage transmission lines, pipelines, energy storage facilities or smart grids, which would benefit from fast-track administrative procedures and be eligible to receive EU funds. It will support the development of hydrogen infrastructure, such as electrolysers, including dedicated hydrogen assets converted from gas that can be used to transport or store a pre-defined blend of hydrogen with gas or biomethane, in order to progressively raise the share of renewable gases in the pipelines. The proposal aims to exclude dedicated oil and gas infrastructure from the rules, which means that oil and gas infrastructure projects would no longer be eligible for PCI status; some gas projects from the 4th or 5th PCI list may still be eligible for a fast-track authorisation procedure under strict conditions. In addition, projects in the island countries of Malta and Cyprus with PCI status should retain support until those countries are fully connected to the European gas network.
A fifth list of PCIs is expected in autumn 2021 under the existing rules, though under tighter sustainability criteria.
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