There are five projects involving Hungary among the 43 major energy projects selected to receive a combined EUR 2.3bn in grants by a Thursday decision of the European Commission (EC). The four projects with Hungarian participation are to receive a combined EUR 81.7m of the grants.
Three of the five projects are for cross-border gas connection, the fourth, involving 14 gas companies from various countries is granted for technical developments to permit reverse flow in case of a supply disruption, and the fifth one is for an electricity pipeline, the announcement of the Commission shows.
- A planned gas pipeline to connect Vel’ky Krtis in Slovakia and Vecses (near Budapest) in Hungary is to receive a maximum of ER 30m in grants. The Hungarian applicant in this project was MOL gas transmission unit FGSZ Natural gas Transmission and the Slovakian participant is Eustream.
- The EC approved at most EUR 16.61m for a gas pipeline connecting Hungary and Romania. FGSZ is participating in this project too, and the Romanian partner is SNTGN TRANSGAZ.
- The Hungary-Croatia gas interconnection project, where FGSZ has been the sole applicant, has been granted at most EUR 20m.
- FGSZ is again the Hungarian participant in the project to facilitate reverse gas flow in the case of a short-term supply disruption. 14 gas companies are to receive a combined EUR 79.5m under the project of which the MOL unit is to get maximum EUR 8.1m in EU funding.
- The fifth project is the Vienna-Gyor electricy link, involving VERBUND-Austria Power Grid and its Hungarian counterpart state-owned MAVIR. The Commission approved a maximum EUR 12.99m for this project, the list published on the EU website revealed.
Thursday’s decision – in which the Commission granted EUR 2.3bn to 31 gas and 12 electricity projects – was the second financial decision under a EUR 3.9bn programme launched in March 2009 to assist European economic recovery through supporting energy-related projects. With the carbon capture and offshore wind Projects which the Commission agreed to support on December 9, 2009, the budget for energy projects in the European energy Recovery Programme is 97pc committed, the Commission said.