Kerstin Lichtenvort, Co-ordinator for the implementation of the CCS Directive and the NER300 funding programme at the European Commission, presented NER300 to the Ocean Energy Europe 2015 conference (Dublin 21 Oct, session “Public Funding for Ocean Energy: Breaking Through to the Mainstream”).

She said two projects would reach Final Investment Decision in 2015, with another four expected to do so in 2016. The 39 awarded projects in the programme have, in her view, “a lot of multiplication impact”. She said thought must be given to “how the performance of such an important programme for innovation should be measured”.

The EC launched the debate with the Council and European Parliament on the successor to NER300, NER400 Innovation Fund, with its proposal of 15 July 2015. “At the moment it’s more the discussion ‘if we will have this Fund’,” Lichtenvort said. Secondary legislation will cover “technical details”.

Lichtenvort said, “If you read the ETS proposal carefully you’ll see it says ‘support’ instead of ‘grant’.” She invited feedback on whether “financial instruments”, including loans or equity, should be given to projects or if the financing should continue to be provided through grants.