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European Commission publishes 4th list of Projects of Common Interest

2nd November 2019

The European Commission published its fourth list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI) for implementing cross-border energy infrastructure in the EU. The new list includes five PCIs aimed at developing cross-border carbon dioxide network transport infrastructure between EU Member States and neighboring third countries. This will be integral to future carbon capture and storage (CCS) facilities in the region. The projects are all located around the North Sea and involve Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Below is further information on the five PCIs in the area of cross-border carbon dioxide network development:

  • CO2-Sapling Project is the transportation infrastructure component of the Acorn full chain CCS project (United Kingdom, in further phases Netherlands, Norway)
  • CO2 TransPorts aims to establish infrastructure to facilitate large-scale capture, transport and storage of CO2 from Rotterdam, Antwerp and the North Sea Port.
  • Northern lights project – a commercial CO2 cross-border transport connection project between several European capture initiatives (United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Sweden) and transport the captured CO2 by ship to a storage site on the Norwegian continental shelf.
  • Athos project proposes an infrastructure to transport CO2 from industrial areas in the Netherlands and is open to receiving additional CO2 from others, such as Ireland and Germany. Developing an open-access cross-border interoperable high-volume transportation structure is the idea.
  • Ervia Cork project aims to repurpose onshore and offshore existing natural gas pipelines and contruct new dedicated CO2 pripeline to transport captured CO2 from CCUS of heavy industry and combined cycle GTs to a storage facility.

The PCIs benefit from a series of advantages when adopted, this including having access to Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding. Other advantages include:

  • accelerated planning and permit granting
  • a single national authority for obtaining permits
  • improved regulatory conditions
  • lower administrative costs due to streamlined environmental assessment processes
  • increased public participation via consultations
  • increased visibility to investors

Every two years, the European Union draws a list of Projects of Common Interest. Following its adoption,  the Delegated Act with the fourth PCI list will be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council for a two-month non-objection period, extendable once.

More information on the 4th list of PCIs projects available here. 

Commission press release and other documents available here.

 

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