Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what support her Department is providing to the two hydro-pumped storage projects in Scotland that have been added to the European Network Electricity Transmission System Operators draft Ten Year Network Development Plan for 2016 to assist them to become eligible for prospective inclusion on the EU's Projects of Common Interest list.

These projects have been proposed for inclusion in the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity draft Ten Year Network Development Plan for 2016. If they are included, they will be eligible to apply for Projects of Common Interest status as part of the 2017 revision of that list of projects.

In order to receive Projects of Common Interest status, the projects must demonstrate cross-border Member State benefit, overall project benefits should outweigh costs, enhance security of supply, support renewables integration and facilitate market integration, as set out in the guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure - TEN-E Regulation (EU) 347/2013.

The Government will continue to support energy storage, including projects’ joining the EU’s Projects of Common Interest list, where they are a cost-effective addition to the UK’s energy system.