Iberia's Green Hydrogen Strategy Emerges Strong Amid Northern Europe Setbacks
Key Ideas
- Northern Europe's green hydrogen project delays favor Iberia's H2Med pipeline development, securing 2m ton annual capacity by 2030.
- Enagas CEO remains optimistic despite cancellations in the North, highlighting strong support from key European countries for the H2Med project.
- High inflation causing temporary setbacks for green hydrogen projects; CEO anticipates competitive pricing by 2030 with reduced inflation and increased carbon prices.
- European green hydrogen targets for 2030 remain intact, with ongoing adjustments in planning but no changes in regulations.
TSO Enagas believes that the recent wave of delays and cancellations in green hydrogen projects in northern Europe will benefit the development of green hydrogen facilities in Iberia. The company's CEO, Arturo Gonzalo, expressed confidence in the strategic importance and strong support for the H2Med pipeline project, which aims to connect green hydrogen production in Iberia with industrial buyers in central Europe by 2030. Despite challenges faced by other regions, key European countries like France, Portugal, Spain, and Germany continue to back the H2Med initiative.
The Enagas CEO attributed the delays in green hydrogen projects in the North to high production costs and low off-taker interest. However, Enagas is moving forward with its hydrogen investment plans, selling its US division to focus on green hydrogen projects in Spain. Gonzalo remains positive about the future of green hydrogen, anticipating competitive prices by 2030 as inflation eases and carbon prices rise.
While the recent setbacks are seen as temporary due to high inflation in Europe, Gonzalo reassured that the overall green hydrogen targets for 2030 in Europe remain unchanged. The adjustments in planning are part of the rapid deployment of green hydrogen across the continent, with no shifts in regulatory frameworks for 2030.