The European Commission lists an Authorization Act for Projects of Common Interest (PCI) that includes the H2Med project. This initiative stands as a key component of the Spanish Hydrogen Backbone and the broader European hydrogen strategy, featuring two subterranean hydrogen storage tanks. Its inclusion in the PCI list will move to the Council and the European Parliament for approval in early 2024, marking a pivotal step in advancing these critical energy projects .
The H2Med corridor links Celorico da Beira in Portugal with Zamora in Spain, forming the CelZa segment, and creates a maritime connection between Barcelona and Marseille, known as BarMar. The combined planned investment for these two sections is about 2.5 billion euros. CelZa is designed to carry up to 0.75 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen over 248 kilometers and includes a 24.6 MW compression facility in Zamora. BarMar is planned to handle up to two million tonnes, spanning 455 kilometers with a 140 MW compression station located in Barcelona .
The H2Med project was introduced by the governments of Portugal, Spain, and France at the Euromed summit in Alicante on December 9, 2022, with support from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and additional backing in January 2023 from Germany. Following the initial announcement, Transmission System Operators (TSOs) from Portugal, Spain, France, and Germany presented the project in Berlin on October 18, reiterating government and industrial community support across these nations and the European Commission .
Developments in the Spanish Hydrogen Backbone Network
Among the first PCI-listed segments of the Spanish Hydrogen Backbone are the Vía de la Plata Axis, which connects to the Puertollano Hydrogen Valley for a total planned length of roughly 1,250 kilometers, and the Cantabrian Cornice, Ebro Valley, and Levante axes, aggregating about 1,500 kilometers. This network includes two underground hydrogen tanks sited in new salt formations in Cantabria and the Basque Country, with planned storage capacities of 335 and 240 GWh respectively. These elements are designed to support the reliability and flexibility of renewable hydrogen supply and storage across northern and eastern Spain .
The total investment in the Spanish Hydrogen Backbone Network is projected to be around 4.6 billion euros, complemented by the necessary storage capacity to ensure efficient operation and market readiness .
Enagás has advanced toward evaluating results after completing the first phase of its Call for Interest, held on November 17. Although not binding for the initial axes, the process gathered input from over 200 entities, including producers, consumers, marketers, and other stakeholders, who submitted more than 600 projects. This broad participation helps gauge sector interest and informs ongoing development of renewable hydrogen infrastructure, as well as ancillary streams such as ammonia, oxygen, and CO2 transport and storage considerations .
The information gathered through this Call for Interest will help refine the network layouts and determine whether any initially overlooked sections should be incorporated into the primary axes. Enagás plans to announce further results of the Call for Interest during the second Hydrogen Day scheduled for January 31, 2024, continuing to map the industry’s needs and alignment with policy goals .
Integrating the H2Med corridor into the Spanish Hydrogen Backbone Network and the PCI-listed underground tanks, pending final approval by the European Parliament and the Council, is expected to accelerate alignment with Europe’s RePowerEU objectives. This alignment aims to strengthen energy independence, boost industrial competitiveness, and drive decarbonization across the energy sector .