Enagas Receives Approval for Spanish Section of Trans-European Hydrogen Pipeline
Key Ideas
- Enagas has obtained preliminary approval from the Spanish government to begin developing the Spanish section of a trans-European hydrogen pipeline.
- The project, part of the H2MED corridor, will include interconnections with Portugal, an underwater pipeline to France, and hydrogen storage facilities.
- Enagas, with support from French, German, and Portuguese partners, plans to invest around €3.2 billion by 2030 to expand its role in hydrogen infrastructure.
- The flagship H2MED project aims to connect the Iberian Peninsula to Central Europe through France by the end of the decade.
Enagas, the gas grid operator in Spain, has received initial approval from the Spanish government to commence work on the Spanish portion of a trans-European hydrogen pipeline. This development is part of the H2MED corridor project, which entails various hydrogen infrastructure ventures such as linking with Portugal, constructing an underwater pipeline to France ('BarMar'), and establishing hydrogen storage facilities. The government’s approval, though provisional, allows Enagas to progress with these European interest projects. Enagas, wherein the Spanish state holds a 5% stake, will transition from managing natural gas grids to overseeing a network of hydrogen infrastructure. Collaborating with counterparts from France, Germany, and Portugal, Enagas foresees an investment of about €3.2 billion until 2030 to materialize its hydrogen initiatives, including those under the H2MED corridor. A significant aspect of this endeavor is the H2MED hydrogen pipeline, set to link the Iberian Peninsula to Central Europe via France by the year 2030.