- The four TSOs will also jointly submit on Thursday 15th of December 2022 this project as candidate for the Project of Common Interest (PCI).
- H2MED will be the first green Hydrogen Corridor in the EU.
The Spanish TSO Enagás, the French TSOs GRTgaz and Teréga and the Portuguese TSO REN have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise their commitment to collaborate on a coordinated basis on the joint development of H2MED, following the mandate of the Governments of the three countries given at the Euromed Summit last December the 9th. The objective of this partnership is to make the infrastructure available as of 2030.
On the 20th of October 2022, the President of the Government of Spain, the President of the French Republic and the Prime Minister of Portugal decided to accelerate the development of energy interconnections and to create a green energy corridor connecting Portugal, Spain and France with the EU energy network. They also agreed on the conclusion of a hydrogen interconnection between Portugal and Spain (Celorico-Zamora) as well as the development of a maritime pipeline connecting Spain and France (Barcelona-Marseille) in order to transport renewable hydrogen from the Iberian Peninsula to Central Europe. The three leaders ratified this commitment in the Euromed Summit last 9th of December, with the support of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The four Transmission System Operators (TSOs) welcomed this decision very favourably. H2MED is a clear example of cooperation and multilateralism between neighbouring countries with a common aim: the decarbonisation of Europe. They have been cooperating since the 20th of October to provide technical advice to their respective governments related to the development of H2MED.
Enagás, GRTgaz, Teréga and REN will also jointly submit on Thursday 15th of December 2022 these projects as candidates to the Project of Common Interest under the new Trans-European Network for Energy (TEN-E) Regulation (EU/2022/869).
The development of H2MED is the first pillar of the European Hydrogen Backbone aiming at accelerating the decarbonisation of Europe, by creating the needed hydrogen infrastructure to enable the development of a competitive, liquid and pan-European hydrogen market. H2MED will accelerate the deployment of hydrogen in Europe and connect the Iberian Peninsula to France and to the Northern part of Europe.
Among the benefits of this project are the promotion of industrial development, with a high level of innovation, the reduction of emissions and the development of renewable energies, as well as the creation of employment and the promotion of a just transition.
H2MED will have a capacity to transport up to 2 million tonnes per year (MTPA) of renewable hydrogen, which represents 10% of the forecast consumption in Europe in 2030, according to REPowerEU.
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About Enagás
Enagás is a TSO (Transmission System Operator) with 50 years of experience in the development, operation and maintenance of energy infrastructures. It has more than 12,000 kilometres of gas pipelines, three strategic storage facilities, eight regasification plants and operates in seven countries: Spain, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Albania, Greece and Italy. In Spain, it is the main natural gas transporter and the Technical Manager of the Gas System.
In accordance with its commitment to the energy transition, Enagás has announced that it is bringing forward its goal of becoming carbon neutral to 2040. The company is committed to the development of renewable gases (such as biomethane or green hydrogen), sustainable mobility and energy efficiency, among other areas. The company is a world leader in its sector in the main sustainability indices, as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World, is included in the CDP Climate Change A List 2021, and has obtained the highest ESG rating in its sector in the FTSE4Good sustainability index. www.enagas.es
About GRTgaz
GRTgaz is Europe’s second-largest gas transporter, with 32,500 km of pipelines and 640 TWh of gas transported. The company has 3,000 employees and generated nearly €2.3 billion in turnover in 2021. GRTgaz has a stated core purpose: “Together, we enable an energy future that is safe, affordable and climate neutral”. GRTgaz is an innovative company undergoing a major transformation to adapt its network to ecological and digital challenges. The company is committed to establishing a fully carbon-neutral gas mix in France by 2050. It supports the hydrogen and renewable gas sectors (biomethane and gas from solid and liquid waste). GRTgaz carries out public service missions to guarantee safe transmission for its 945 customers (shippers, distributors, industrial clients, biomethane producers and plants). Alongside its subsidiaries Elengy, Europe’s leader in LNG terminals, and GRTgaz Deutschland, the operator of the MEGAL transmission network in Germany, GRTgaz plays a key role on the European gas infrastructure scene The company exports its know-how internationally, especially those services developed by its research centre, RICE. Find us at https://www.grtgaz.com/ and on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
About Teréga
Established in the Greater South-West, the crossroads of major European gas flows, Teréga has been deploying exceptional know-how for more than 75 years in the development of gas transport and storage infrastructures and today designs innovative solutions to meet the major energy challenges in France and Europe. A true energy transition accelerator, Teréga has more than 5,000 km of pipelines and two underground storage facilities representing respectively 16% of the French gas transmission network and 26% of national storage capacity. The company generated revenue of €488 million in 2021 and has approximately 650 employees. Find us at https://www.terega.fr/ and on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About REN
REN (REN – Gasodutos, S.A.) is the Portuguese TSO for the gas sector. REN – Gasodutos, S.A. is a subsidiary of REN – Redes Energéticas Nacionais, SGPS, SA, a Portuguese listed company and the holding of a group integrating the operation of electricity transmission and LNG terminal, gas storage, transmission and distribution infrastructures.
REN – Gasodutos, S.A. is responsible for the technical management of the Portuguese Gas System and the sole responsible for the operation of the high-pressure Gas Transmission Grid in Portugal, which comprises a network of 1,375 km pipelines as of December 2021. REN is at the core of the energy system in Portugal and acts as an energy transition facilitator, committed to reach carbon neutrality by 2040.
