The H2Med hydrogen pipeline project between Barcelona and Marseille officially launched
French President Emmanuel Macron (left), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Portuguese President Antonio Costa (right) at the H2Med Summit in Alicante, Spain, on December 9.
AP - JM Fernandez
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
France, Portugal and Spain launched their ambitious H2Med pipeline project during the Euromed summit.
The leaders of the three countries made the trip to Alicante for the occasion, as did Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission.
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With our special correspondent in Alicante,
Juliette Gheerbrant
From Barcelona to Marseille, the undersea pipeline will transport two million tonnes of carbon-free hydrogen per year, or 10% of European consumption.
It is to be completed in 2030. By that date, the EU will produce 10 million tonnes of hydrogen made from renewable energy and import just as much.
“
Hydrogen must be a central part of our energy system in the transition to carbon neutrality.
And we want Europeans to remain pioneers in building a global hydrogen market,
said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
We have ambitious production targets, but not only.
What we have defined is a large-scale vision for the industrial deployment of hydrogen.
»
Energy sovereignty
This corridor called H2Med must first connect Portugal to Spain, then Spain to France from Barcelona to Fos-sur-Mer.
This project meets ecological objectives, but also the objectives of European energy sovereignty, said French President Emmanuel Macron.
But Russia's aggression in Ukraine requires speeding up the tempo.
The support of the European Commission is therefore crucial in this project.
The H2Med will cost 2.5 billion euros, according to the head of the Spanish government Pedro Sanchez.
If Brussels considers that it is of common interest for the Twenty-Seven, it will obtain European funds.
“
In 2020, we had identified the main gas pipelines we needed for distribution.
Then Russia launched its energy war, which had a serious impact on our energy markets and systems.
And the transition to green energies has become no longer urgent, but vital
, also recalled Ursula von der Leyen.
This transition is not only good for the climate, it is also good for our independence and for securing our supplies.
»
Pedro Sanchez is hoping for 50% funding.
The hydrogen transported to Marseille can then continue on its way to the rest of Europe.
On the other side of the Mediterranean, an agreement on this green energy exists with Egypt.
The Commission is negotiating with Morocco.
Long landlocked, the Iberian Peninsula will therefore become a major energy player in Europe.
► To read also: The H2Med gas pipeline and the migration issue on the menu of the 9th Euromed summit
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