Next, three NER 300 projects presented their recent activities and reported on their experience and perception of the funding programme:
- Italian bioenergy BEST project (Piero Cavigliasso, Director of Institutional relations and Public funding, Biochemtex S.p.a.);
- German wind energy project Innogy (Tobias Griesshaber – Wind Energy Offshore Project Development, RWE GmbH);
- Hungarian geothermal project South Hungarian EGS (Mr. Sigurdur Larus Holm - Managing Director, Mannvit kft);
All projects highlighted the importance of the funding received by the NER 300 programme emphasizing the importance and reliability of the programme. Project sponsors and participants also expressed their wish for a continuation of the programme in the future.
The presentations were followed by a panel discussion moderated by Stathis Peteves and consisting of the speakers, who answered questions related to their experiences with and expectations on the programme, the actual progress of their projects and their hopes for the future of NER 300.
The SET Plan Conference took place the 10 and 11 December 2014 in Italy, in the framework of the Italian Semester of Presidency and was co-organised by ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) and the European Commission.
The conference focused on the development of the SET Plan Integrated Roadmap and an Action Plan promoting stronger collaboration between Member States and with the EU in areas such as energy efficiency, competitive low-carbon supply of energy, and system optimisation including smart cities and communities. The two days agenda included dedicated sessions on the developments of the SET-Plan towards an Integrated Roadmap and Action Plan and the needs and challenges of the EU energy system.
More information:
http://www.setplan2014.it
http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/lowcarbon/ner300/
NER 300: an overview
NER 300 is a large European funding programme for innovative low-carbon energy demonstration projects. NER 300 is called so because it is funded from the sale of 300 million emission allowances from the new entrants' reserve (NER) set up for the third phase of the EU emissions trading system. The aim of NER 300 is to establish a demonstration programme comprising the best possible CCS and RES projects and involving all Member States. The programme supports a wide range of CCS and RES technologies.
NER 300 will bridge the gap between R&D and commercialisation by funding first-of-a-kind projects. In total, it provides 2.1 billion euros but it also seeks to leverage a considerable amount of private investment and national co-funding across the EU. It aims to boost the deployment of innovative low-carbon technologies and stimulate the creation of jobs in those technologies within the EU.
Under the first call for proposals funding was awarded to 22 renewable energy projects. The projects are now moving towards implementation, with one already launched – the Italian bioenergy BEST project. They must reach their final investment decisions by December 2014, and enter into operation by December 2016. The second call for proposals was launched on 3 April 2013. 32 projects were submitted and the second award decision is expected mid-July 2014.
One of the conclusions of the 2030 Climate and Energy Policy Framework of the recent European Council, held in Brussels on 23 and 24 October 2014, is that "the existing NER 300 facility will be renewed, including for carbon capture and storage and renewables, with the scope extended to low carbon innovation in industrial sectors and the initial endowment increased to 400 million allowances. Investment projects in all Member States, including small-scale projects, will be eligible". For this reason, the European Commission and Member States will now explore ways to renew and re-launch this innovation fund.
Knowledge sharing
Knowledge sharing requirements are built into the programme as a tool to lower risks in bridging the transition to large-scale production of innovative RES and CCS deployment. The goals of knowledge sharing are – amongst others: to de-risk CCS and RES with regard to scaling up to commercial size; to accelerate the deployment of CCS and innovative RES; and to increase the undertaking of, and confidence in, CCS and RES by the wider public.
For these reasons, project sponsors are obliged to submit annually to the European Commission relevant knowledge (RK) gained during the implementation of their project. The European Commission assesses the submitted RK with a view to establishing whether the project has adequately complied with its knowledge sharing obligations and will disseminate relevant knowledge.
Programme management and implementation
The European Commission is responsible for the overall management of NER 300. The Commission draws on the expertise of the European Investment Bank to evaluate proposals submitted by Member States, to sell NER allowances, and to manage the revenues and the disbursement of funds.
DG CLIMA is in charge of managing the NER 300 programme. The JRC supports DG CLIMA in the implementation of NER 300 knowledge sharing, including the assessment and dissemination of RK from projects.
Contact and further information
For further details, please contact:
Andreas Uihlein (andreas.uihlein@ec.europa.eu), JRC (IET)
Filippo Gagliardi (Filippo.gagliardi@ec.europa.eu), DG CLIMA
General information on the NER 300 programme can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/lowcarbon/ner300/.