The Medgaz gas pipeline will no longer be used to export or import hydrogen in the future as originally planned in September of last year.
The European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB) initiative has presented an updated version of its vision for hydrogen transportation infrastructure throughout Europe. It is essentially a version of the infrastructure map outlining the intended routes for hydrogen travel across the European Union.
According to the new map, Spain will no longer connect with Medgaz, the pipeline that links it to Algeria via AlmerÃa, for importing or exporting green hydrogen by 2040 as previously planned in earlier updates.
However, by 2030, it does have the H2Med, the hydrogen pipeline that will connect Barcelona to Marseille, and it also ensures that hydrogen interconnection with Italy will take place, with a 792-kilometer-long pipeline connecting the cities of Barcelona and Livorno. In this case, this infrastructure wouldn’t be available until 2040.
Morocco, France, and Italy, on the other hand, do have it.
Additionally, the connection of the Maghreb gas pipeline, through which we currently export gas to Morocco, will be maintained to transport hydrogen, or even purchase it from Morocco in the future to send it to Central Europe.
This interconnection will use green hydrogen starting from 2040.
Previous map presented last September. In the one on the right, corresponding to 2040, the use of Medgaz is foreseen. Note that H2Med had not yet been incorporated and the revival of MidCat remained as a project to connect with France.
Finally, two underwater gas pipelines will be built with France and Italy, but the connection with Algeria is broken, just like it was almost two years ago with the Maghreb gas pipeline, as Algeria didn’t want to pass gas through Morocco.
Months later, diplomatic relations with Algeria are practically severed, although not so much on the commercial front. Gas supply is still maintained through Medgaz (AlmerÃa).
Algeria remains Spain’s top gas supplier despite losing one of the two routes. And it seems they will continue to do so for many years, as hydrogen doesn’t seem to flow through their pipelines in the future.
The European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB) initiative consists of a group of thirty-two energy infrastructure operators united by a shared vision of a climate-neutral Europe enabled by a thriving market for renewable and low-carbon hydrogen.
Among them is the Spanish company Enagás, which currently holds the shared presidency in this initiative through MarÃa Sicilia.
SOURCE: El periodico de la energÃa.
Read the most up to date Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Industry news at FuelCellsWorks
