PCI status allocated to cross-border hydrogen corridor proposed by GAZ-SYSTEM and transmission system operators from Finland, the Baltic States, and Germany
The European Commission published a list of infrastructure facilities that have obtained the status of Projects of Common Interest in the energy sector. The construction of Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor has been included in the PCI List.
The planned hydrogen corridor delineated across six countries seeks to untap the potential for the production of renewable hydrogen in the Baltic region, especially in Finland, by building a transportation corridor from Finland through the Baltic states to Poland and Germany.
- The Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor construction project is fully supported by the Government, as it aims to maintain and bolster Poland's energy independence in the face of a future transition of energy carriers. The planned energy infrastructure will support the development of domestic zero-emission hydrogen production and its further transport in Europe - said Anna Łukaszewska-Trzeciakowska, Minister of Climate and Environment.
She added that the implementation of the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor strengthens the position of Poland as an important participant in regional energy projects.
The first list of PCI hydrogen infrastructure was published on the occasion of PCI Energy Days conference organized in Brussels by the European Commission to summarise the effects of the first decade of TEN-E Regulation, the progress and impact of the PCI projects implementation, as well as to discuss the challenges facing energy infrastructure operators as part of further activities contributing to the European Union's attainment of climate and energy policy objectives.
GAZ-SYSTEM took part in this conference and the related exhibition (PCI Garden) to highlight the contribution of the gas projects completed by the company with partners in 2022 - the offshore Baltic Pipe interconnection and cross-border interconnections with Lithuania and Slovakia in ensuring safe and uninterrupted supplies of gaseous fuel to Poland and other countries in the region, particularly in the context of the last year’s events.
- The projects implemented by GAZ-SYSTEM have always aimed at the integration of the energy transmission systems of the Member States. As in previous years, the company makes every effort to ensure that the investment projects important for Poland are also recognised as priority initiatives in the European Union, and thus receive EU support at the implementation stage - said Marcin Chludziński, President of the Management Board GAZ-SYSTEM.
The new TEN-E regulation provides for the possibility of granting PCI status to the projects supporting integrated European hydrogen infrastructure through the implementation of hydrogen transmission and storage projects and facilities for receiving and regasification of liquefied hydrogen or hydrogen blended with other substances (e.g. ammonia). The Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor project has been included in the PCI list as 'Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan in Hydrogen' (BEMIP Hydrogen).
In accordance with TEN-E regulation, PCI projects promote the facilities of key importance to the implementation of European energy and climate policy, including affordable, safe and sustainable energy for all citizens, as well as building a low-carbon economy in the European Union. The PCI projects should also contribute to the implementation of priority energy infrastructure corridors and significantly improve security of supply, market integration and competition.
Projects selected as PCIs can benefit from the best practice stemming from TEN-E Regulation, including an accelerated permit granting process. Under specific conditions, the PCI status provides the possibility of receiving financial assistance under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
The list of PCI projects published by the European Commission is currently subject to approval by the European Parliament.
For more information on the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor project.
Additional information on the PCI list is available on the European Commission website.
