Spain and France are starting to raise their tone due to the conflict over which type of hydrogen can be considered green in Europe. Different criteria turn into a diplomatic conflict on an issue that has wide-ranging economic and strategic consequences for both countries and begins to endanger the future of the country. mega project H2Med, ‘super runnerIt was agreed between both countries, along with transnational Portugal and Germany, to ‘carry hydrogen in Europe.
The European Commission this week announced that at least some of the hydrogen produced using energy from nuclear power plants, a label similar to hydrogen produced with renewable energythus supporting the arguments of France, the EU’s largest nuclear power. The Spanish government openly rejects this initial stance by Brussels, and Teresa Ribera, vice-president and minister for the Ecological Transition, has strongly expressed her opposition in recent days. So much so that it caused a public complaint from the French Embassy in Madrid.
The French Ambassador, Jean-Michel Casa, came to show his discomfort at Ribera’s words with a tribune at EL PERIÓDICO DE ESPAÑA from the Prensa Ibérica group. France, hydrogen produced with energy low carbon (i.e. nuclear) receives the same treatment as those produced by renewable energies in the community arrangement.
And staunch defense of this position has led Paris to attribute the future construction of H2Med to the fact that both types of hydrogen receive a comparable label, and then the future corridor can be used for both. Sending hydrogen from Spain to France (as originally suggested) and in the opposite direction, as EL PERIÓDICO DE ESPAÑA announced this Friday.
Following complaints from French diplomacy, the Spanish government steps in and tries to protect the future hydrogen corridor between the two countries from bilateral conflict over future community energy regulation. “The EU is currently discussing various energy arrangements: renewable energy, gas, hydrogen… Negotiations to reach agreement should not affect the development of the H2Med green corridor project.Reminding that the corridor is not an infrastructure covering only Spain and France, but also a project involving Portugal and Germany, the sources of the Ministry of Ecological Transition are emphasized.
The Spanish Executive now underlines “full melody” It emphasizes “mutual respect for the free technological choice of each State” between Spain and France on energy issues, such as the drive to accelerate the ecological transition and the EU’s autonomy against Russia’s pulse, as to what the energies will be used for. Fulfilling European decarbonization commitments.
Spain respects France’s decision to preserve and develop its nuclear reactor park, and use this electricity to produce hydrogen, as noted by the Ministry of Ribera, but denies that this energy is considered green by the EU. “France aspires to produce hydrogen with nuclear power plants and has never concealed this, and Spain seems reasonable. We believe it should take its place in the European hydrogen and gas regulation,” they say from the department. “Nuclear-sourced hydrogen is not renewable. They can share infrastructure, but not sect”.
In this sense, the Spanish Ruler”always works to create negotiation and consensus within the EU”, but pointing out that this is done “only with consistency and defense of Spain’s interests and respect for renewable goals””. Just as France defends its nuclear power outside of its strategic national interests, Spain is determined to defend its competitive advantage, which is greater capacity to deploy renewable energy.