ENTSOG South-North Corridor GRIP 2017 - Main Report

5.3 EU Priority Corridors

and Projects of Common Interest (PCIs)

The role of the Region as a geographic area at the heart of continental gas flows and main gas markets has been recognised by the European Commission in the adoption of the Regulation 347/2013. Four priority corridors for the EU gas infrastructure have been identified by the Regulation and the Region is placed at the cross-road of three of them: South-North gas interconnections in Southwestern Europe (NSI West), South-North gas interconnections in Central-Eastern and Southeastern Europe (NSI East) and Southern Gas Corridor (Caspian region).

South – North gas interconnections (South Western Europe) South – North gas interconnections (Central and South Eastern Europe) Southern Gas Corridor (Caspian basin) Interconnection plan of Baltic energy market

South – North gas interconnections (South Western Europe) South – North gas interconnections (Central and South Eastern Europe) Southern Gas Corridor (Caspian basin) Interconnection plan of Baltic energy market

Figure 5.4: European priority corridors for natural gas infrastructures (Source: elaboration on European Commission publication)

With reference to priority corridors, the implementing acts to Regulation 347/2013, issued in November 2015   1) , have adopted the second Union list of Projects of Common Interest (PCIs). These infrastructures have been labeled by the European Commission as priority initiatives for the benefits they can bring to the internal gas market under several criteria, namely market integration, security of supply, competition and sustainability. Projects of Common Interest comprised in the South-North Corridor Region have been substantially confirmed in the second list   2) as backbone for the future European gas infrastructure developments, as also clearly visible in Figure 5.3 (“Graphical representation of PCIs”).  1) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/89 of 18 November 2015 (OJ publication of 27 January 2016)  2) PCI 5.10 “Reverse flow interconnection on TENP pipeline in Germany” and PCI 5.11 ”Reverse flow interconnection between Italy and Switzerland at Passo Gries interconnection point”. Reverse flow interconnection between Switzerland and France is no longer PCI (FID decision taken by GRTgaz) as well as the project “Reverse flow interconnection on TENP pipeline to Eynatten interconnection point”. The first part of the initiative “Reverse flow interconnection between Italy and Switzerland at Passo Gries interconnection point” has been successfully commissioned in October 2015 (TRA-F-2013 “Support to the North-West market”).

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South-North Corridor GRIP 2017