EU Backs 100 Hydrogen Infrastructure Projects in €1.5 Trillion Cross-Border Energy Overhaul
Source：fuel cells works
- Brussels grants PCI/PMI status to 100 hydrogen and electrolyser projects, unlocking access to multi-billion-euro funding and fast-tracked permitting.
- Part of a wider push to modernise energy networks and cut dependence on fossil fuels, with hydrogen forming a key pillar through 2040.
The European Commission has approved 100 cross-border hydrogen and electrolyser projects as part of a major package of 235 energy infrastructure developments awarded Projects of Common Interest (PCI) and Projects of Mutual Interest (PMI) status under the updated TEN-E Regulation. The selected projects, which span electricity, CO₂ networks, and hydrogen, will now be eligible to apply for funding under the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), and benefit from accelerated regulatory and permitting processes to support rapid rollout.
This second PCI/PMI list since the TEN-E reform in 2022 aligns with the EU’s clean energy and energy security goals, and prioritises low-carbon and digital infrastructure over fossil fuels. The 100 hydrogen and electrolyser projects are expected to play a strategic role in decarbonising the EU’s energy system and boosting its industrial competitiveness. “These cross-projects will strengthen energy connectivity across the continent, bringing nearer the completion of the Energy Union,” the Commission said. The projects form part of a €1.5 trillion investment pipeline in energy infrastructure projected between 2024 and 2040.
The approved hydrogen projects will benefit from high-level political coordination via the Energy Union Task Force and regional groups. Their implementation will also dovetail with the upcoming European Grids Package and Energy Highways initiative—announced by President von der Leyen—to address infrastructure bottlenecks. The list now enters a two-month scrutiny phase by the European Parliament and Council. If adopted, the Commission will move swiftly to coordinate project execution with national authorities and developers. Since 2014, the CEF-Energy programme has funded €8 billion in energy interconnection projects, and the Commission has proposed increasing the 2028–2034 CEF budget fivefold to €29.91 billion.