As the global energy market grapples with the need to integrate more renewable energy projects like wind farms, a new development has emerged from the sea of possibilities for the international energy market. The European Council has selected several new projects that will be granted CB RES status, which will enable the cross-border development of astonishing new renewable energy projects in several regions of the European continent. The Utilitas’ Eleja–Jonišķis wind farm straddles the Latvia–Lithuania border, and has been added to the new list of CB RES projects by the EU.

Cross-border renewable energy projects have become the jewel of the international market

For any energy project, developing the required infrastructure and necessary funding can be a challenge that seems insurmountable at times. That challenge can be especially difficult for any cross-border projects that span two or more countries. The bureaucratic processes of nations can often lead to significant challenges in approving new projects; however, that reality has been changing in recent years thanks to the EU Council.

Cross-Border Renewable Energy status has been granted by the EU for several new renewable energy projects that aim to advance the standing and footprint of the sector across the continent. CB RES projects are identified by the CEF Regulation and aim to promote the advancement of the sector into new heights amid the calls for more investments in the renewable energy market.

CB RES projects require a few defining criteria to receive funding and approval from the EU

Cross-border renewable Energy projects that have been selected by the European Commission need to ensure that they foster a cooperative dialogue between EU member nations, but that does not mean that any nation not in the EU will be left behind as the council has noted that outside nations can also be given CB RES status, so long as they have operations with one or more EU member nation.

Utilitas’ Eleja–Jonišķis wind farm has received the CB RES status from the EU

Along with several other new renewable energy projects, the Utilitas Eleja–Jonišķis wind farm, which spans the border between Latvia and Lithuania, has been granted approval to receive the CB RES status from the European Council.

The onshore Utilitas Eleja-Jonisķis Wind Park is expected by industry officials to begin delivering approximately 200 MW of power to the regional grid by 2028, and has the potential to reshape the European wind power sector, along with the litany of other cross-border projects selected by the European Council.

Europe’s proclivity for the renewable energy sector has become all too real in recent years

The wind park that sits along the border has been strategically located to connect to the 330 kV Viskaļi-Musa transmission line, strengthening the region’s energy capacity and boosting the wind power sector in the area.

The new list of EU-approved CB RES projects can serve the renewable energy sector as a driver towards a new future, where nations open funding rounds to foster investments in renewable energy, such as Spain, which recently opened a €350 million funding round for wind repowering.

The European sentiment over wind power has not reached a certain nation that certainly needs it

While the news of the EU providing CB RES status to the Eleja–Jonišķis wind farm, among others, has not influenced the United States’ perception of wind power in particular. Several industry insiders and analysts have noted that the US wind power sector has effectively been paralyzed by the current administration’s permit delays and overall disdain for the wind power sector. Regardless, the European wind sector has been given a massive boost, and just in time as the new year is edging ever-closer by the day.