Commission grants CB RES status to three additional cross-border renewable energy projects

The European Commission has approved three new cross-border renewable energy projects under the fifth call for CB RES status: WIND, DEPLOY and ZEGA-LINNK. Following this update, and after the withdrawal of PONTIS from the list, the number of projects holding CB RES status now stands at 15.

The newly added projects are:

• WIND: this cross-border project between Ukraine and Romania will deploy large-scale onshore wind energy technology near Poltavska, with a planned installed capacity of 650 MW. The project is expected to generate approximately 2TWh of electricity annually.
• DEPLOY: this joint project in Poland and Germany aims to unlock Poland’s renewable energy potential to the benefits of consumers across the border. It plans to deploy an integrated power plant in Guben (Poland) , including a wind farm and photovoltaic installations with a combined capacity of 180 MW,. The electricity will be converted in heat made available to industrial offtakers in Gubin (Germany), and will also help decarbonise  district heating in Guben.
• ZEGA-LINNK: this project builds on the shared district heating network supplying Braunau (Austria) and Simbach (Germany), which has been in place since 2001–2003 and has expanded continuously since then. A geothermal borehole in Simbach currently provides the base load, while natural gas boilers cover peak demand. To reduce fossil fuel-based peak load generation, the project plans to install a 5 MW heat pump in Simbach and develop a new 12–15 MW geothermal borehole in Braunau. Through the cross-border district heating network, surplus geothermal heat from Germany is delivered to Austria, while renewable heat generated in both countries provides mutual redundancy, reducing the need for large peak-load and backup systems.

Other projects in the CB RES list

• ELWIND: a hybrid offshore wind park between Estonia and Latvia.
• United Heat: a cross-border district heating grid based on RES between Germany and Poland.
• CICERONE: a project to produce renewable electricity in Spain and Germany for conversion, transport and use of green hydrogen in the Netherlands and Germany.
• SLOWP - Saare-Liivi Offshore Wind Park: offshore wind power plant facilities in the Gulf of Riga, in Estonian seawaters.
• ULP-RES WP - Utilitas Lode-Penuja RES Wind park: an on-shore wind park in the northern part of Latvia and the southern part of Estonia consisting of new generation wind turbines with joint connection to the transmission grid in Latvia. 
• BEI - Bornholm Energy Island: The BEI aims at two offshore wind farms and two interconnectors from the converter station to Denmark and to Germany, allowing for the trading and sharing of surplus electricity.
• TMNHSA (BG-RO) Project - The Turnu Magurele-Nikopol Hydraulic Structures Assembly: a major cross-border initiative between Romania and Bulgaria, it aims at using the hydropower potential of the Danube River while focusing on environmental sustainability, renewable energy generation and localities and industries' needs. 
• Liivi Bay Offshore Wind Farm: the project aims to deliver a large-scale offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. Built in Estonian waters in the Gulf of Riga, it will be radially connected to the Estonian national grid, and it is expected to reach 1 GW of installed capacity and start generating electricity from 2031. 
• Utilitas Eleja-Jonišķis Wind Park: spanning across the Latvian-Lithuanian border, the onshore wind park will reach 200 MW of installed capacity from 2028, offering a strong boost to renewable energy supply in both countries. 
• Comprehensive Offshore Renewable Energy Studies (CORES): the project paves the way for groundwork for future cross-border deployment of floating offshore wind energy in Portugal in a cooperation with Luxembourg. 
• Medlink Renewable Generation (MedGen): this landmark North-South cooperation project aims to install 10 GW of solar and wind capacity in Algeria and Tunisia, with dedicated battery storage systems. 
• Twin Heat: the project will decarbonise the district heating systems of the twin cities Słubice (Poland) and Frankfurt (Germany) through the installation of renewable-based heating infrastructure, including biomass boilers and cross-border heat exchange.

These projects will help strengthen Europe’s energy security, promote cross-border cooperation, and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy technologies in support of the EU’s energy and climate objectives.

Learn more about approved projects in the CB RES Transparency Platform.

Thanks to the official CB RES status, the three projects are now eligible for financial support for studies and works under the CEF Energy Programme. Furthermore, they benefit from higher visibility, increased investor certainty, and stronger support from Member States.  

The results of the 2025 call for studies and works for CB RES projects was announced on 17 September. 

The next call for CB RES projects to obtain the status and join the list will open in November/December 2026, and CINEA will organise a virtual info day open to the CB RES projects already approved shortly after the call launching to guide applicants through the process. After the info day, the recording and the presentation will then be publicly available to any interested stakeholders

Background

CB RES projects are identified by the CEF Regulation and aim to promote cross-border cooperation between EU countries (and between EU countries and non-EU countries) in the field of planning, development and cost-effective exploitation of renewable energy sources. In addition, CB RES projects may facilitate RES integration through energy storage or hydrogen production facilities with the aim of contributing to the EU’s long-term decarbonisation strategy. CB RES projects need to be set-up by a cooperation mechanism as defined in the recast of the Renewable Energy Directive.