EU invests in central and southern Europe energy infrastructure

• 8 years ago (2015-07-15)
• Junior Isles

Europe 1061

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The EU will provide a €150 million ($164 million) package to develop gas and electricity infrastructure projects across the region.

The bulk of the support will go to projects in central eastern and south eastern Europe as well as to projects in the Baltic region. In total, 20 projects were selected following a call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), a EU funding programme for infrastructure.

The measures form part of the EU's €5.35 billion ($5.86 billion) trans-European energy infrastructure for the period of 2014-2020 under the CEF.

European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete said: "The completion of a truly competitive EU-wide energy market is essential in order to turn the Energy Union into a reality. But without reliable and well-connected energy networks this will not happen. This is why we are investing in projects to integrate the market further and to diversify sources and routes, in particular in central eastern and south eastern Europe as well as in the Baltic region."

The list of projects includes feasibility studies for the Celtic interconnector between Ireland and France – two previously unconnected markets – through a long-distance subsea cable. The construction of a new 400 kV internal transmission line in Bulgaria will also benefit from CEF financial assistance – part of a wider project to enhance connections between Bulgaria and Greece. Support will also be given to the construction of the Lithuanian part of the Litpol Link, which will integrate the power system of Lithuania and those of other Baltic States further into the grid of Continental Europe.