ANNEX I ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITY CORRIDORS AND AREAS

(1) North-South electricity interconnections in Western Europe (NSI West Electricity): interconnections between Member States of the region and with the Mediterranean area including the Iberian peninsula, in particular to integrate electricity from renewable energy sources, reinforce internal grid infrastructures to foster market integration in the region and to end isolation of Ireland, and to ensure the necessary onshore prolongations of offshore grids for renewable energy and the domestic grid reinforcements necessary to ensure an adequate and reliable transmission grid and to supply electricity generated offshore to landlocked Member States.

(2) North-South electricity interconnections in Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe (NSI East Electricity): interconnections and internal lines in North-South and East-West directions to complete the internal market, integrate generation from renewable energy sources to end the isolation of Cyprus, and to ensure the necessary onshore prolongations of offshore grids for renewable energy and the domestic grid reinforcements necessary to ensure an adequate and reliable transmission grid and to supply electricity generated offshore to landlocked Member States.

(3) Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan in electricity (BEMIP Electricity): interconnections between Member States and internal lines in the Baltic region, to foster market integration while integrating growing shares of renewable energy in the region.

(4) Northern Seas offshore grids (NSOG): offshore electricity grid development, integrated offshore electricity, as well as, where appropriate, hydrogen grid development and the related interconnectors in the North Sea, the Irish Sea, the Celtic Sea, the English Channel and neighbouring waters to transport electricity or, where appropriate, hydrogen from renewable offshore energy sources to centres of consumption and storage or to increase cross-border renewable energy exchange.

(5) Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan offshore grids (BEMIP offshore): offshore electricity grid development, integrated offshore electricity, as well as, where appropriate, hydrogen grid development and the related interconnectors in the Baltic Sea and neighbouring waters to transport electricity or, where appropriate, hydrogen from renewable offshore energy sources to centres of consumption and storage or to increase cross-border renewable energy exchange.

(6) South and West offshore grids (SW offshore): offshore electricity grid development, integrated offshore electricity, as well as, where appropriate, hydrogen grid development and the related interconnectors in the Mediterranean Sea, including the Cadiz Gulf, and neighbouring waters to transport electricity or, where appropriate, hydrogen from renewable offshore energy sources to centres of consumption and storage or to increase cross-border renewable energy exchange.

(7) South and East offshore grids (SE offshore): offshore electricity grid development, integrated offshore electricity, as well as, where appropriate, hydrogen grid development and the related interconnectors in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and neighbouring waters to transport electricity or, where appropriate, hydrogen from renewable offshore energy sources to centres of consumption and storage or to increase cross-border renewable energy exchange.

(8) Atlantic offshore grids: offshore electricity grid development, integrated offshore electricity grid development and the related interconnectors in the North Atlantic Ocean waters to transport electricity from renewable offshore energy sources to centres of consumption and storage and to increase cross-border electricity exchange.

(9) Hydrogen interconnections in Western Europe (HI West): hydrogen infrastructure and the repurposing of gas infrastructure, enabling the emergence of an integrated hydrogen backbone, directly or indirectly (via interconnection with a third country), connecting the countries of the region and addressing their specific infrastructure needs for hydrogen supporting the emergence of an Union-wide network for hydrogen transport, and, in addition, as regards islands and island systems, decreasing energy isolation, supporting innovative and other solutions involving at least two Member States with a significant positive impact on the Union’s 2030 targets for energy and climate and its 2050 climate neutrality objective, and contributing significantly to the sustainability of the island energy system and that of the Union.

(10) Hydrogen interconnections in Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe (HI East): hydrogen infrastructure and the repurposing of gas infrastructure, enabling the emergence of an integrated hydrogen backbone, directly or indirectly (via interconnection with a third country), connecting the countries of the region and addressing their specific infrastructure needs for hydrogen supporting the emergence of an Union-wide network for hydrogen transport and, in addition, as regards islands and island systems, decreasing energy isolation, supporting innovative and other solutions involving at least two Member States with a significant positive impact on the Union’s 2030 targets for energy and climate and its 2050 climate neutrality objective, and contributing significantly to the sustainability of the island energy system and that of the Union.

(11) Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan in hydrogen (BEMIP Hydrogen): hydrogen infrastructure and the repurposing of gas infrastructure, enabling the emergence of an integrated hydrogen backbone, directly or indirectly (via interconnection with a third country), connecting the countries of the region and addressing their specific infrastructure needs for hydrogen supporting the emergence of an Union-wide network for hydrogen transport and, in addition, as regards islands and island systems, decreasing energy isolation, supporting innovative and other solutions involving at least two Member States with a significant positive impact on the Union’s 2030 targets for energy and climate and its 2050 climate neutrality objective, and contributing significantly to the sustainability of the island energy system and that of the Union.

(12) Smart electricity grids deployment: adopting smart grid technologies across the Union to efficiently integrate the behaviour and actions of all users connected to the electricity network, in particular the generation of large amounts of electricity from renewable or distributed energy sources and demand response by consumers, energy storage, electric vehicles and other flexibility sources and, in addition, as regards islands and island systems, decreasing energy isolation, supporting innovative and other solutions involving at least two Member States with a significant positive impact on the Union’s 2030 targets for energy and climate and its 2050 climate neutrality objective, and contributing significantly to the sustainability of the island energy system and that of the Union.

(13) Cross-border carbon dioxide network: development of infrastructure for transport and storage of carbon dioxide between Member States and with neighbouring third countries of carbon dioxide capture and storage captured from industrial installations for the purpose of permanent geological storage as well as carbon dioxide utilisation for synthetic fuel gases leading to the permanent neutralization of carbon dioxide.

(14) Smart gas grids: adoption of smart gas grid technologies across the Union to efficiently integrate a plurality of low-carbon and particularly renewable gas sources into the gas network, support the uptake of innovative and digital solutions for network management and facilitating smart energy sector integration and demand response, including the related physical upgrades if indispensable to the functioning of the equipment and installations for integration of low-carbon and particularly renewable gases.