With the newly published list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI), the EU takes a major step towards an integrated and decarbonised energy system.

Projects of Common Interest are key infrastructure projects that link the energy systems across EU countries, spanning electricity, hydrogen and CO2. The PCI status has been awarded on a biannual basis since 2013 and allows project promoters to benefit from simplified regulatory conditions, accelerated planning and permitting and access to funding through the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ (CEF). As such, PCIs are a key tool to help deliver the EU’s ambitious energy policy and climate targets.

The sixth list of PCI projects, published on November 28 2023, marks a stepping stone. It is the first of its kind established under the revised Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) regulation and sets a clear focus on the transition to a renewable and decarbonised energy system. Projects related to hydrogen (both generation as well as infrastructure) have had the opportunity to qualify for PCI status for the first time ever.

To establish the list, the European Commission and the associations of European TSOs, ENTSO-E and ENTSOG assessed the extent to which candidate projects would contribute to European energy policy objectives (in particular sustainability, flexibility and security of supply). They also considered expected costs and benefits, including potential environmental benefits of reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Frontier advised a number of project promoters across both the hydrogen and carbon dioxide supply chains (including generation (H2), transport and storage) from across Europe during the process and contributed to their successful PCI applications.

Click here to read the European Commissions press release and full report. 

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