Blog
EU grants CB RES status to three cross-border projects
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes · Last updated:
Three projects have been approved for cross‑border renewable energy status (CB RES): WIND, DEPLOY and ZEGA‑LINNK, bringing the total number of CB RES projects to 15 after PONTIS withdrew. WIND is a Ukraine–Romania onshore wind scheme with a planned installed capacity of 650 MW and an estimated output of about 2 TWh per year. DEPLOY covers wind and solar in Guben/Gubin with a combined 180 MW of capacity, and ZEGA‑LINNK will add a 5 MW heat pump and a new 12–15 MW geothermal borehole to the Braunau–Simbach district heating network. The approvals were published on 1 October 2026, as first reported by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency.
Key takeaways
- New approvals and total: WIND, DEPLOY and ZEGA‑LINNK received CB RES status, bringing the list to 15 projects after the withdrawal of PONTIS.
- WIND project: WIND is a Ukraine–Romania onshore wind project planned at 650 MW of installed capacity and expected to produce about 2TWh annually.
- DEPLOY scope: DEPLOY will deploy integrated wind and photovoltaic capacity of 180 MW in Guben (Poland) to supply electricity and heat across the border to Gubin (Germany).
- ZEGA‑LINNK heat plan: ZEGA‑LINNK plans a 5 MW heat pump in Simbach and a new 12–15 MW geothermal borehole in Braunau to cut fossil peak‑load generation.
Table of contents
- Key takeaways
- What the three approvals are and their technical scale
- What CB RES status confers and funding eligibility
- How these projects fit the wider CB RES portfolio
- Timing, next steps and the November/December 2026 call
- Positive and negative drivers for these CB RES approvals
- What to be careful about
- Frequently asked questions
What the three approvals are and their technical scale
The three projects approved for CB RES status in the fifth call are WIND, DEPLOY and ZEGA‑LINNK. WIND is a transboundary onshore wind deployment spanning Ukraine and Romania with a planned installed capacity of 650 MW and an estimated annual output of about 2TWh.
DEPLOY is a Poland–Germany initiative centred on Guben (Poland) that combines a wind farm with photovoltaic installations for a combined capacity of 180 MW; part of that electricity will be converted to heat and supplied to industrial offtakers in Gubin (Germany) and used to decarbonise district heating in Guben. ZEGA‑LINNK builds on the existing Braunau–Simbach district heating connection and intends to add a 5 MW heat pump in Simbach plus a new geothermal borehole in Braunau with an expected capacity in the 12–15 MW range to reduce reliance on gas boilers.
What CB RES status confers and funding eligibility
Projects that obtain CB RES status become eligible for support under the Connecting Europe Facility Energy Programme; that support covers studies and works that further development and cross‑border integration. The agency's announcement says CB RES recognition also raises project visibility, increases investor certainty and can secure stronger backing from Member States, all of which can make it easier to attract follow‑on financing for construction and grid integration.
The approvals follow the outcome of the 2025 competition for studies and works, announced on 17 September 2025, and mean the three projects can now seek CEF Energy funding for the next phases of design and implementation.
How these projects fit the wider CB RES portfolio
The new approvals join a diverse CB RES portfolio that already includes onshore and offshore wind, cross‑border district heating and large renewable export schemes. The list contains hybrid offshore projects such as ELWIND between Estonia and Latvia and plans like the Liivi Bay Offshore Wind Farm in the Gulf of Riga, which targets 1 GW of installed capacity and is scheduled to start generating in 2031.
Other named entries include United Heat (a district heating grid between Germany and Poland), the Utilitas Eleja‑Jonišķis onshore wind park, planned to deliver 200 MW from 2028, and Medlink Renewable Generation (MedGen), which plans to deploy a combined 10 GW of solar and wind capacity across Algeria and Tunisia paired with battery storage. This mix shows CB RES status covers generation, heat networks and cross‑border infrastructure intended to share renewable resources regionally.
Timing, next steps and the November/December 2026 call
The agency says the outcome was announced on 17 September 2025 and that the next CB RES call will open in November or December 2026. It will organise a virtual information day for already approved CB RES projects shortly after the call opens, and the recording and presentation will be made publicly available afterwards to interested stakeholders.
For the newly approved projects the immediate practical steps are project‑level studies and funding applications under CEF Energy; for market participants the key near‑term milestone is the forthcoming call window and the agency’s info day that will outline application requirements and timelines.
| Project | Cross‑border pair | Main technology | Headline capacity | Start/target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIND | Ukraine–Romania | Onshore wind | 650 MW; ~2TWh/yr | — |
| DEPLOY | Poland–Germany | Wind + photovoltaic; heat conversion | 180 MW | — |
| ZEGA‑LINNK | Austria–Germany (Braunau–Simbach) | Geothermal + heat pump | 5 MW heat pump; 12–15 MW borehole | — |
| Liivi Bay Offshore Wind Farm | Estonia (Gulf of Riga) | Offshore wind | 1 GW | start generating from 2031 |
| Utilitas Eleja‑Jonišķis Wind Park | Latvia–Lithuania | Onshore wind | 200 MW | from 2028 |
Positive and negative drivers for these CB RES approvals
The case for
- CEF Energy eligibility and the visibility conferred by CB RES status should help projects attract development finance and firm up grid‑integration plans.
- Cross‑border resource sharing, exemplified by ZEGA‑LINNK’s arrangement to supply surplus geothermal heat across borders, reduces single‑country peak‑load exposure and can lower overall system costs.
The case against
- Cross‑border projects face permitting, regulatory alignment and interconnection sequencing that can delay construction and revenue streams despite CB RES recognition.
- Technical risks for site‑specific measures — for example geothermal drilling performance or heat‑pump integration at scale — could push out timetables and increase early‑stage costs.
What to be careful about
- Permitting and cross‑border coordination delays that affect project schedules and eligibility windows for CEF support.
- Technical risk for geothermal resource development that could reduce the expected 12–15 MW output in Braunau.
- Grid connection and curtailment challenges for large wind projects such as WIND (650 MW) that can limit initial dispatch and revenue.
- Competitive funding pressures for CEF Energy resources as multiple CB RES projects seek studies and works support.
The bottom line
The fifth call’s approvals add three technically distinct projects to the CB RES portfolio and push the roster to 15 entries, strengthening the EU’s catalogue of cross‑border renewable options. WIND’s 650 MW scale and ~2TWh/year estimate underline the role of large onshore wind in cross‑border supply, while DEPLOY and ZEGA‑LINNK show how hybrid generation and heat infrastructure can be paired across borders. With the next call slated for November/December 2026 and CEF Energy funding eligible for studies and works, the immediate focus for developers is preparing competitive applications and lining up technical work that can survive cross‑border permitting and grid integration risks.
What to watch
- Watch for the CB RES call opening in November/December 2026 and the application window details that will determine eligibility for CEF Energy support.
- Watch for CINEA’s virtual information day to be scheduled shortly after the call opens; the agency will publish the recording and presentation for interested stakeholders after the session.
Frequently asked questions
What does CB RES status allow a project to do?
CB RES status makes a cross‑border renewable project eligible for studies and works funding under the CEF Energy Programme and increases visibility and Member State support; the agency noted projects with the status can better attract investor interest.
Which projects were added and what are their headline numbers?
WIND (Ukraine–Romania) is planned at 650 MW with about 2TWh annual output, DEPLOY (Poland–Germany) combines wind and solar for 180 MW, and ZEGA‑LINNK (Austria–Germany) plans a 5 MW heat pump plus a 12–15 MW geothermal borehole.
When is the next opportunity to obtain CB RES status?
The agency says the next CB RES call will open in November/December 2026; CINEA will hold a virtual info day shortly after the call opens and publish the recording and presentation afterwards.
Related reading