NER 300: Commission takes stock of project selection

The European Commission has published interim results of the selection process under the first call for proposals of the NER 300 funding programme for innovative low-carbon technologies. With the bulk of the project selection work completed, the technical document takes stock of progress and includes preliminary lists of candidate and reserve projects that could be awarded co-funding.

The Commission will formally ask Member States to confirm the projects and national co-funding in early October 2012, with a view to finalising its funding decisions by the end of this year.

The Commission estimates that co-funding of €1.3-1.5 billion could be available for the first call. This would allow some three carbon capture and geological storage projects and up to 16 renewable energy projects to be co-funded. Projects are likely to be supported in more than half of the EU Member States, including a number of Member States which are currently in economic and fiscal difficulty.

The exact amount of funding available will depend on how much is raised through the sale of 200 million allowances from the new entrants' reserve of the EU emissions trading system. The sales, which are being undertaken by the European Investment Bank, are under way and will be concluded in early October.

Read more:

• 12 Jul 2012 - SWD/2012/224 - NER 300 - Moving towards a low carbon economy and boosting innovation, growth and employment across the EU
• NER 300