H2Med’s ambitious project to build a “green” hydrogen pipeline between Barcelona and Marseille has been announced by the leaders of France and Spain.

This program is expected to be completed by 2030, French President, Emmanuel Macron, said at the end of a meeting with the Prime Ministers of Spain and Portugal, Pedro Sanchez and Antonio Costa.

For his part, Sanchez stated that the construction cost of H2Med is expected to be close to 2.5 billion euros. In 2030, this pipeline will transport about two million tons of hydrogen per year, he also specified.

This project will be submitted to the European Commission by December 15, so that it can benefit from the status of the public benefits program and consequently from European funding, Macron added.

The meeting of the leaders of Spain, France, and Portugal was also attended by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who warmly welcomed this agreement between the three countries, which is going in the right direction.

This underwater pipeline is expected to allow the so-called green hydrogen – produced with renewable energy – to be channeled from the Iberian Peninsula, which aspires to be a “champion” of this form of future energy towards France and the north of the EU.

Portuguese President, Antonio Costa, underlined the fact that the new H2Med pipeline will serve to transport green hydrogen exclusively. He added that the renewable fuel produced in the Iberian Peninsula will be highly competitive.

This project replaces the “MidCat”, which started in 2003 to connect the gas networks of France and Spain through the Pyrenees, but was finally abandoned due to a lack of economic interest, the opposition of environmentalists, and that of Paris.

Also read: Macron – Sanchez – Costa Trilateral meeting ahead of EU Summit amid disputes over MidCat pipeline