More complex and forged in May: this is the gas pipeline with Italy that Sánchez promotes as an alternative to France

• Visit to Colombia Pedro Sánchez gives wings to the gas interconnection with Italy in the face of France's rejection of Midcat

The reluctance on the part of the French Government to collaborate in the construction of the third inter-Pyrenean gas connection between Spain and France has forced Pedro Sánchez to look for alternatives.

The most immediate and realistic, announced by Enagás in July of this year, involves

through a submarine tube that would increase the flow between the two countries by

.

When would it be ready?

According to the company, the construction of the infrastructure and its subsequent commissioning would last

.

A delay of three years compared to the period of time that the sources consulted by EL MUNDO assert that it would take to complete the construction of the Midcat.

The agreement was forged in Italy last May between the company in charge of transporting Italian gas, Snam, and the counterpart regulator in Spain, Enagás.

Mario Draghi himself announced on March 31 that the possibility of building the aforementioned infrastructure had his approval.

The National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) also endorses the project.

How much would it cost?

Again in Enagás figures, the planned investment stands at

.

The idea is that Brussels subsidizes, as has been proposed with Midcat, part of the total cost of the work.

To complete the remaining section of the Pyrenean interconnection, the initial outlay would be around 225 million euros.

It would allow gas exports to increase by 10,000 million cubic meters, although this figure could reach 15,000.

"It is a more complicated work of engineering (the Italian option). The simple, the clean, in a country that calls itself pro-European, at an extremely critical moment for Europe, is to go for the easiest, for what can be operational for autumn-winter 2023-2024 and which is that connection of the Iberian hydrogen corridor, which in the first instance could transport natural gas through the Pyrenees, doubling the current capacity", said Teresa Ribera.

What distance would it cover?

The project, as Teresa Ribera explained this Thursday,

.

In this way, Spain would supply gas to Italy and to the connections with the central core of the gas pipeline that crosses central and northern Europe, says Europa Press.

The estimated length of the tube would exceed

.

In the case of the tube with France, part of the work has already been done.

Specifically, the burial is stopped in the Girona town of Hostalric.

The distance that remains to be built is around 200 kilometers.

Why is Europe interested in this connection?

In order to reduce dependence on Russian gas, the European Union has set its sights on

.

The countries of this region, rich in this material, would be willing to increase their supplies to Europe in the short and medium term.

In addition, the regasification capacity of Spain is another of the key elements when assessing the project.

Spain is prepared to receive a large amount of gas in methane tankers, however, it lacks the necessary infrastructure to send it abroad.

This connection would make it possible to increase the flow of gas to Europe that reaches Spain through the ports.

Why does Sánchez say that this gas pipeline is a plan B?

The main bet of the Spanish Government is to reactivate the gas pipeline with France, cheaper and more immediate construction.

However, France does not want.

The Gallic country's commitment is not to change its gas supplier, but rather its energy source.

Macron bets on the construction of nuclear reactors;

plans to open more than a dozen and prolong the life of the current ones.

In this sense, Moncloa's intention continues to be to convince the French Prime Minister.

For this, Sánchez will meet this Tuesday with the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, one of the political figures who has most defended the construction of the new interconnection with France.

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