CEF Energy Opens €600 Million Funding Call for Cross-Border EU Energy Infrastructure Projects

The European Commission's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Energy programme has announced a €600 million funding opportunity for key cross-border EU energy infrastructure projects. The call, managed by CINEA, targets projects included in the second Union list of PCIs and PMIs in accordance with the revised TEN-E (Trans-European Network – Energy) Regulation (EU) 2022/869.

Eligible projects span electricity, smart electricity grids, smart gas grids, CO₂ networks, hydrogen, electrolysers, and gas derogation applications. The funding will support both studies and works phases for qualifying infrastructure projects.

Applications close on September 30, 2026. Two separate funding tracks are available: one for works in electricity, gas, smart grids, hydrogen, and CO₂ networks; another for studies encompassing those areas plus electrolysers.

Projects designated as PCIs or PMIs gain automatic advantages under the TEN-E Regulation, including accelerated permit granting and improved regulatory treatment. These designations support the EU's objectives to complete its internal energy market while advancing energy and climate goals toward a climate-neutral economy by 2050.

CINEA has updated its Transparency Platform with data on all 235 projects in the second Union list. An information day is scheduled for May 18, 2026, to explain the call's policy context and application process. CEF Energy has a total grant budget of €5.84 billion for the 2021-2027 period.

Originally reported by Hydrogen Central. Read the full article →