September 10 we published an article named Spain: Key to resolving Europe’s gas crisis? concerning how Spain may be a solution to the current energy crisis in Europe through its abundant Liquefied Natural Gas terminal capacity. Here’s an update to what has happened in the mean time.
As you may recall, a lack of connections between Spain and France, and hence to the rest of Europe, has been a major problem. One possible way to overcome this hurdle, as mentioned in our previous article, would be to continue the construction of a pipeline between Hostalric, north of Barcelona and Barbaira in southern France. This pipeline, called the MidCat or Midi-Catalonia, had a planned capacity of about 7.5 billion cubic meters per year. It was launched in 2013 but suspended in 2019 for cost, environmental reasons and possibly other problems as the two nations explain differently why the work was suspended.
However, in late October, representatives of France and Spain agreed on laying a pipeline between Barcelona in Spain and Marseille in France also called a “green energy corridor”. This pipeline would be laid on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea instead of being built on land. Whether difficulties related to securing construction permits, long term leases on land or compensations for acquiring privately owned land areas ended up being the tallest hurdle was not commented on. The idea is to carry natural gas until they can start shipping hydrogen through this underwater pipeline.
Portugal was also part of the agreement and the three countries together will also work on improving their electricity connections and possibly add more of the same.
You can read more about the agreement in an article in ABC News from October the 20th. The article states that no cost or timeline for the project were announced. Leaders of the three countries also agreed to conclude the renewable gas interconnections between Portugal and Spain, from the northern Iberian cities of Celourico da Beira to Zamora.
You can read the article here: France, Portugal, Spain agree on Med ‘green energy corridor’.
Featured image: Gas Pipeline, Image by Alexey Hulsov, Pixabay
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