Financing cross-border cooperation

With a budget of approximately €875 million for the period 2021-2027, this Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Energy funding complements other EU renewable energy funding opportunities, but is focusing on cross-border cooperation that helps EU countries achieving the 2030 renewable energy targets in a more cost-efficient manner.

Projects in non-EU countries may also be eligible if they comply with article 11 of the Renewable Energy Directive.

Calls for renewable energy cross-border projects

In order for a project to become a cross-border renewables (CB RES) project and to benefit from funding, it should fulfil the criteria of the CEF Regulation (EU/2021/1153) which refers to the existence of a cooperation arrangement between EU countries, as well as cost savings and potential overall net-benefits that the project would provide. Further details are provided in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/342 and its related Staff Working SWD (2021) 429.

The 4^th call to apply for CB RES status ran between 3 September 2024 and 7 January 2025. More information about ongoing and past calls can be found on the European Climate Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) website.

Following the evaluation of the projects and the positive opinion of the CB RES Expert Group, the Commission adopted the fourth list of CB RES projects in July 2025. It includes the projects from the previous lists

• ELWIND is a joint hybrid offshore wind park between Estonia and Latvia with a total capacity up to 1 GW
• Goerlitz Zgorzelec, a cross-border district heating in a twin city at the border between Germany and Poland that aims to replace all its energy sources with a combination of renewable energy technologies such as biomass, heat pumps and solar thermal
• CICERONE (Alliance Cross-Border-European Green Hydrogen Value Chain) aims to set up a cross-border European green hydrogen value chain between Italy, Spain and Germany. Renewable electricity produced in Spain and Italy will be converted to green hydrogen, and transported to the Netherlands and Germany
• SLOWP (Saare-Liivi Offshore Wind Park) is a joint hybrid offshore wind park between Estonia and Luxembourg, with a total capacity of 1.2 GW
• ULP-RES WP (Utilitas Lode-Penuja RES wind park) is an onshore wind park between Estonia and Latvia, consisting of new generation wind turbines with joint connection to the transmission grid in Latvia, with total power production capacity of of 200 MW
• TMNHSA (Turnu Magurele – Nikopol Hydraulic Structures Assembly) project aims to build twin run-of-the-river hydropower plants with a total capacity of 840 MW on the Danube at the level of the cities Nikopol, in Bulgaria, and Turnu Măgurele, in Romania
• BEI (Bornholm Energy Island) is a hybrid project that consists of 2 offshore wind farms of 3 GW each, to be connected to converter stations on the Danish island of Bornholm. The island will be connected to both Denmark (mainland) and Germany through high-voltage direct current cables
• PONTIS (Progressing On reNewable energy Transfer for International Supply in a connected Europe) aims to set up a cross-border European green hydrogen value chain between Spain and the Netherlands. Electricity produced from 750 MW of renewable energy installations in Spain will be converted to hydrogen through electrolysis in a facility at the port of Huelva. The hydrogen will then be converted in a liquid organic hydrogen carrier to be shipped to the port of Rotterdam where it will be further processed for industrial uses
• Liivi Bay Offshore Wind Farm: the project aims to deliver a large-scale offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. Built in Estonian waters in the Gulf of Riga, it will be radially connected to the Estonian national grid, and it is expected to reach 1 GW of installed capacity and start generating electricity from 2031. The wind farm will contribute to Estonia’s goal of producing 100% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030, while also supporting Latvia’s energy transition.
• Utilitas Eleja-Jonišķis Wind Park: spanning across the Latvian-Lithuanian border, the onshore wind park will reach 200 MW of installed capacity from 2028, offering a strong boost to renewable energy supply in both countries. The project is strategically located to connect to the 330 kV Viskaļi–Mūša transmission line, enhancing regional grid stability and energy independence.
• Comprehensive Offshore Renewable Energy Studies (CORES): the project paves the way for groundwork for future cross-border deployment of floating offshore wind energy in Portugal in a cooperation with Luxembourg. It will assess offshore wind zones, grid reinforcements, and auction models, helping to unlock up to 10 GW of offshore wind capacity in Portugal. The project also fosters collaboration around green hydrogen, port infrastructure, and energy system planning.
• Medlink Renewable Generation (MedGen): this landmark North-South cooperation project aims to install 10 GW of solar and wind capacity in Algeria and Tunisia, with dedicated battery storage systems. Two 2 GW HVDC interconnectors will export up to 22.8 TWh/year of clean electricity to Italy (outside the scope of the CB RES project). This makes MedGen a flagship initiative, boosting sustainable development, regional integration, and the EU’s energy diversification efforts.
• Twin Heat: the project will decarbonise the district heating systems of the twin cities Słubice (Poland) and Frankfurt (Germany) through the installation of renewable-based heating infrastructure, including biomass boilers and cross-border heat exchange. The project is an example of thermal energy integration, contributing to lower emissions, cleaner air, and increased energy efficiency in urban heating systems.

The description of their scope, including the components which are covered by the CB RES status, is included in a technical document (October 2024). The list will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU.

More information on these projects is available in in the interactive map of the CB RES Transparency Platform. 

Calls for technical studies and works

Once a project has received the CB RES status, it is eligible for CEF Energy funding for studies and works. The CB RES status also benefit project promoters with higher visibility, increased investor certainty and stronger support from EU countries.

The European Climate Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) organises calls on an annual basis.

• The first dedicated CEF Energy call was published in 2022. As a result, 2 of the projects - ELWIND and CICERONE - were selected to receive grants for studies worth a total of €22 million to help them advance the projects through environmental impact assessment, geological and sea basin research, spatial planning and front-end engineering.
• The second CEF Energy call for studies and works closed on 6 February 2024. The Commission decided to grant a total of €67.4 million to 2 project proposals for works and 3 for studies. The projects cover various renewable energy technologies, such as offshore and onshore wind, district heating and green ammonia processing and involve 5 EU countries: Estonia, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, and Poland.
• A third call for studies and works opened on 22 October 2024 and closed on 16 January 2025. On 22 September 2025, the Commission selected 3 projects to receive a total of €76.3 million to help foster cross-border cooperation in renewable energy, increase the deployment of clean energy solutions, and contribute to achieving the EU’s energy and climate objectives.

Documents

• Implementing decision on the selection of proposals and award of grants for technical studies and its annex (C/2023/4521)
• Implementing decision on the selection of proposals and award of grants for preparatory studies and its annex (C/2022/4146)