EU Awards €67.4 Million To Five Cross-Border Renewable Energy Projects

Following the publication of the 2023 CEF Energy call for works and studies for cross-border renewable energy (CB RES) projects, five new Actions have been selected to support the delivery of cross-border renewable projects. The call for applications was open from October 17, 2023, to February 6, 2024.

The awarded projects involve five EU countries—Estonia, Latvia, The Netherlands, Germany, and Poland—and cover various sectors including offshore and onshore wind, biomass, district heating, and green hydrogen/ammonia. These projects aim to enhance renewable energy collaboration and integration across borders.

Selected Projects and Funding:

1. SLOWP: This project aims to build and operate an offshore wind park in Estonian coastal waters by 2030. It will receive €10 million from CEF for technical studies including environmental impact assessment, geotechnical and geophysical studies, and permitting preparations.
2. ULP-RES: The Utilitas Lode-Penuja RES Wind park project seeks to establish a renewable energy cross-border onshore wind farm in the border areas of Estonia and Latvia, with a capacity of up to 200 MW. It will receive €26.6 million from CEF for construction works in the initial development stage, covering wind turbine foundations, grid, and road constructions.
3. UNITED HEAT: This project focuses on deep decarbonisation of district heat production in Görlitz/Zgorzelec. It has been awarded CEF funding for two actions:
   • €4.8 million for technical studies, including design and planning for building permits, new grid routes, a cross-border pipeline, and drafting heat transfer and supply contracts.
   • €14.5 million for constructing and commissioning a biomass heating plant and a district heating pipeline to integrate waste heat from the sewage gas CHP plant in Görlitz.
4. CICERONE-Ammonia: As part of the larger CICERONE project, this action aims to establish an integrated cross-border renewable hydrogen value chain in Europe, incorporating renewables from Spain. It will receive €11.6 million from CEF for project implementation preparations, including developing an ammonia import terminal and a cracking plant in the Port of Rotterdam to convert renewable ammonia back into hydrogen.

The total funding awarded to these projects amounts to €67.4 million from the CB RES window under CEF Energy.