Barcelona is set to host Europe’s first green hydrogen corridor, a plan agreed in December 2022 by Spain’s Pedro Sánchez, France’s Emmanuel Macron, and Portugal’s Antonio Costa. The aim is to create a hydrogen link between the Iberian Peninsula and France, enabling the transfer of two million tons of hydrogen per year to the rest of Europe with a target that 2030 will see 10% of European energy consumption powered by hydrogen. Questions remain about the pipeline’s design and implementation.
numbers
The corridor, dubbed Bar Mar, will be a deep undersea tube of about 2,550 meters, 355 kilometers long with a 28 inch diameter. It will carry hydrogen at roughly 210 bar pressure. The projected cost is around €2.5 billion, with half funded by the European Union. The project is designated as a Common Interest Project (PCI). Three layouts were considered. The direct option A would run 369 kilometers and reach depths up to 985 meters, but would cross gaps and valleys. Options B and C share similar depths near 2,550 meters, and the winning design is shorter with a gentler upward slope.
The Barcelona-Marseille hydrogen corridor forms part of a larger effort called H2Med, which also includes a cross-border link between Spain (Zamora) and Portugal (Celorico da Beira). It envisions an internal network connecting major hydrogen production sites to domestic demand and the rest of Europe, extending from Cartagena to Barcelona and along an axis from Gijón to Huelva, with Cantabrian spur links.
stages
By the end of last year the main milestones were reached: a political agreement and a preliminary design aligned with European financing requests. European leaders have stressed that Europe will not fund new gas pipelines. The project represents an initial step in a longer journey, with construction expected to start toward the end of 2025 or early 2026 and to be operational around 2030. Financing from Europe is a prerequisite, and additional technical and environmental impact studies and consultations may affect the timeline. An energy market analyst cautions that unknown inconsistencies could emerge along the way. Ana Maria Jaller-Makarewicz provides the warning.
A historical context helps explain the caution. The 2014 MidCat project faced doubts about demand and political consensus, leading regulators in Spain and France to halt it in 2019 after carrier assessments indicated insufficient demand. The current plan seeks clearer demand signals and greater energy security given recent geopolitical dynamics.
doubts
A major question concerns whether there will be sufficient demand for green hydrogen as production technology matures. Analysts note that France intends to keep Marseille’s infrastructure intact for use by northern European markets, while Spanish producers weigh the potential for cross-border flows. A gas industry executive emphasizes that energy security has taken on heightened importance due to the war in Ukraine and ongoing concerns about gas supply routes.
Another unknown is hydrogen production routes. Spain aims to produce green hydrogen using renewable energy, while France highlights the option of nuclear power. Debates persist over the direction of flow: should hydrogen move strictly from the Iberian Peninsula to northern Europe, or could a bidirectional system emerge? Some industry voices favor green hydrogen, while others point to pink or blue hydrogen options depending on national energy strategies and carbon capture capabilities. The European regulatory framework for green hydrogen production remains to be fully defined, adding another layer of uncertainty.