The CEF Transport Blending Facility will support two areas which deliver on the Commission’s agenda for a clean and digital transport system:

• Deployment of the European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS)
• Deployment of Alternative Fuels

It is implemented via a cooperation framework between the European Commission and Implementing Partners to support Blending Operations, i.e. investments combining the use of grants and/or financial instruments from the EU budget and financing from the Implementing Partners (via a loan, debt, equity or any other repayable form of support).

Threshold Blending Operation
− CEF grant of min EUR 1 M
− IP Loan of min EUR 5 M

Budget
− EUR 100 M ERTMS (unit contributions)
− EUR 100 M (% co-funding rate: Alternative fuels)

MS and other EU programs can invest in the CEF Blending Facilities ‘new Art 16 a CEF Reg)

Budget with possible replenishment to up to EUR 350m plus up to 20% (flexibility)

Timeline
− Actions can be implemented until 2023
− Opening call: Q3 2019
− Rolling basis until March 2021

Priority 1 – Alternative fuels

Mobile assets: co-funding rates apply only to the eligible costs understood as the difference between the costs of a conventional solution and the costs of the innovative technology solution.
– LNG trucks: the grant amount shall not exceed EUR 3000 per vehicle.
– Dedicated electric charging infrastructure for the use of batteryelectric buses in public transport, the co-funding rate is set at 20% of the eligible costs.
– LNG vessels in inland navigation: the co-funding rate is set at 20% of the eligible costs.

Priority 2 – ERTMS

Eligible actions:
– On-board: Proposals addressing the fitment, retrofit or upgrade of vehicles with ERTMS baseline 3
– Trackside: ERTMS B3 installation or upgrade, and associated works on interlockings

Unit contributions, derived from unit costs, approach to:
– Simplify planning, administration and execution of ERTMS grant provision
– Allow early certainty on levels of CEF grant support to be provided