NER 300 programme - increasing low-carbon technologies in the EU

The NER 300* is one of the world’s largest funding programmes for innovative low-carbon demonstration projects. It supports environmentally safe schemes to capture and store carbon and to develop renewable energy technologies that could be used on a commercial scale within the EU.

ACT

Commission Decision 2010/670/EU of 3 November 2010 laying down criteria and measures for the financing of commercial demonstration projects that aim at the environmentally safe capture and geological storage of CO₂, as well as demonstration projects of innovative renewable energy technologies under the scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community established by Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 290 of 6.11.2010, pp. 39-48).

Commission Decision (EU) 2015/191 of 5 February 2015 amending Decision 2010/670/EU as regards the extension of certain time limits laid down in Article 9 and Article 11(1) of that Decision (OJ L 31 of 7.2.2015, pp. 31-32).

SUMMARY

WHAT DOES THE DECISION DO?

It sets out the rules and conditions under which the EU finances commercial demonstration projects to capture and geologically store carbon dioxide (CO₂) gases, known as carbon capture and storage (CCS) and renewable energy technologies (RES).

KEY POINTS

• Eligible CCS projects focus on power generation and various industrial applications, such as refineries and iron and steel production.
• Eligible RES projects cover bioenergy, solar power, photovoltaics, geothermal, wind, ocean, hydropower (electricity generated by moving water) and smart grids (modernised energy networks that automatically monitor energy flows).
• A first EU-funding operation in December 2012 made EUR 1.1 billion available to 20 renewable energy projects. This leveraged over EUR 1.9 billion from the private sector. They are due to start operating by December 2018 at the latest.
• A second round in July 2014 awarded EUR 1 billion to 18 renewable energy and one carbon capture and storage projects. This leveraged a further EUR 860 million of private investment. These should start operating at the latest by July 2020.
• By 31 December each year, EU governments must submit a report to the Commission on the progress the projects are making. This will contain the amount of CO₂ stored or clean energy produced, disbursement of the funding and details of any significant problems.

WHEN DOES THE DECISION APPLY?

From 5 November 2010.

KEY TERMS

NER 300 was given its name because it is funded from the sale of 300 million emission allowances (rights to emit one tonne of CO₂) in the new entrants’ reserve of the EU’s emissions trading system. It subsidises installations of RES technology and CCS.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see the European Commission’s NER 300 website.

RELATED ACTS

Commission Implementing Decision of 31.1.2014 amending Commission Implementing Decision C(2012) 9432 so as to modify the Award Decision under the first call for proposals of the NER300 funding programme.

Commission Implementing Decision of 8.7.2014, Award Decision under the second call for proposals of the NER 300 funding programme, C(2014) 4493.

last update 26.03.2015