Companies can get support to connect renewable electricity generation facilities to the grid

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The Environmental Investment Centre (EIC) is opening an application round from today, 28 December, to support companies in connecting renewable energy generation facilities to the grid. The budget for the round is EUR 6.8 million, and the deadline for submitting applications is 28 February 2023.

Anastasia Petrova, Project Coordinator at the EIC, said that when renewable electricity generating installations are connected to the distribution or transmission grid, the company owning the generating installation also pays for the investments needed to reinforce the grid. ‘With the grant, we can increase the production of renewable energy in Estonia and at the same time reduce the need for fossil fuels,’ Petrova added.

The grant can be requested for the connection of a renewable electricity production installation located in an industrial area or in an area adjacent to an industrial area to the distribution or transmission grid. The connection capacity created as a result of the project must be at least 200 kilowatts, and construction of the connection point must be completed by April 2026, at the latest.

For each megawatt of additional capacity added to the distribution or transmission grid, a maximum of EUR 230,000 (excl. VAT) is available, up to a maximum of EUR 1 million per application. The grant can be applied for by companies registered in Estonia, but not companies owning and operating a closed distribution system.

Grants are awarded in Estonian and more information can be found on the EIC website here. The information briefing for the application round took place on 20 December and can be viewed here. On 30 December, the EIC will also open an application round for pilot projects for renewable energy storage facilities, more information on which can be found here.

Application takes place via the e-support environment until 17:00 on 28 February 2023. The grant funds originate from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and the grant was developed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.