Spain, France, and Portugal joined forces to champion the first large-scale hydrogen corridor in the European Union, soon joined by Germany in the initiative. The project, known as H2Med, is a bold bet with planned investments around 2.5 billion euros, aimed at supporting the renewable hydrogen revolution and gradually reducing reliance on natural gas in sectors where electrification is difficult or impossible.
Initially Madrid, Paris and Lisbon outlined a two-part corridor designed to be operational between 2028 and 2030. One segment would link Spain and Portugal from Celorico da Beira to Zamora with an investment of 350 million euros. The other segment would connect Portugal with France from Barcelona to Marseille, including an underwater pipeline estimated at 2.135 billion euros. The plan envisions that the route, once extended to Berlin, would cross French territory and reach Germany, with the ambition to extend to other northern and central European nations.
Spain is actively steering efforts to shield its consumers from bearing the costs, while aiming to secure Europe’s energy supply and ensuring that the main benefits flow to the countries hosting the transported hydrogen. This approach is expected to help reduce dependence on Russian gas and accelerate decarbonization across economies.
Officials emphasize that H2Med will not be funded by Spanish consumers, a statement attributed to Arturo Gonzalo Aizpiri, chief executive of Enagás, the manager of Spain’s gas system and transport network. Aizpiri has been authorized to advance the project design in collaboration with gas operators from France and Portugal, including Teréga, GRTgaz, and REN, respectively.
EU funds and end customer payments
Governments supporting the hydrogen corridor acknowledge that financing structures will likely be diverse and potentially complementary to cover the project’s multi-billion euro cost. Madrid, Lisbon and Paris submitted H2Med to the European Commission as a candidate for a project of common interest, with potential community support for a significant portion of the planned investments.
In addition to European funding, the promoters see a future where the European Union recognizes hydrogen as an energy form that can be financed across borders, enabling the benefiting countries to contribute to the infrastructure. This could involve tolls for corridor usage and tariffs for long-term capacity contracts, ultimately paid by the end consumers of hydrogen.
Hydrogen back and forth?
Differences over what constitutes green hydrogen between Spain and France have sparked recent tensions. Spain cautions that a dispute should not derail the project. The government and Enagás reaffirm that the disagreement does not threaten H2Med’s viability.
Vice President Teresa Ribera and Enagás CEO have agreed to push for hydrogen produced with nuclear power as a potential input for distribution through H2Med to various European markets. They also reject the notion that Paris seeks a one-way supply, arguing instead for alignment with European rules that equate nuclear hydrogen with renewable hydrogen in policy terms.
France has pressed for a bidirectional flow in the energy channel, arguing that the corridor should also support hydrogen produced with nuclear energy sent to Spain. French sources have signaled that the project would not attract interest if the direction was only one way. Enagás notes that the current European Commission submission focuses on shipments from Spain to France and does not include a reverse path, as the present design centers on a compression station in Barcelona serving Marseille, not on a Marseille-to-Spain loop.
Nevertheless, the technical plan remains open to future bidirectional operation. The possibility exists for hydrogen to flow from France toward Barcelona if needed, though current expectations anticipate Spain as the primary sender to the continent.
a tube with italy
In response to Europe’s energy pressures, Spain has championed proposals for multiple gas pipelines to bring natural gas to the region. The Midcat concept evolved into H2Med as a hydrogen-focused route. A sea corridor has been proposed to run for a decade, connecting Spain with Italy and enabling hydrogen shipment through the Adriatic route after conversion from gas transport operations.
Madrid has signaled a shift away from building new natural gas infrastructure with European funds, signaling a long-term focus on hydrogen infrastructure. The Barcelona to Livorno segment, originally envisioned as a gas conduit, has been deprioritized but remains a theoretical option should hydrogen transport considerations gain momentum.
EU planners continue to map cross-border hydrogen links, including a potential Barcelona to Livorno hydrogen exchange. Enagás emphasizes that the current plan submitted to the European Commission centers on a one-way flow from Spain to France; the idea of a Marseille compressor would be required for a two-way system, though such a device is not currently forecast as part of the immediate project. If future needs arise, the design could be adapted to accommodate bidirectional hydrogen movement while maintaining Spain as the primary exporter to Europe.