Spain aims to be a leading hub for green hydrogen and a major player in Europe’s renewable transition
Spain aspires to position itself as Europe’s first center for green hydrogen, seeking funding from the European Union to cover roughly half of the substantial investments needed to make this vision a reality. The plan threads together the H2Med international corridor, agreed among Spain, France, and Portugal to transport green gas to Europe, with ambitions to fund two large inland hydro channels and two underground storage facilities that would connect hydrogen production plants to major industrial hubs across the country.
The government did not submit a formal candidacy to the European Commission merely to designate H2Med as a project of common interest. It seeks assistance for up to half of the 2.85 billion euros required to construct the two hydro channels that would connect Portugal and France via sea-adjacent routes, with connections between Celorico da Beira and Zamora and between Barcelona and Marseille using an underwater link. These plans align with the broader strategy to accelerate hydrogen infrastructure while supporting regional integration. [Source: Ministry of Ecological Transition, as cited]
Projected water channels.
Spain has also petitioned for a large-scale standalone project: a green hydrogen transport corridor linking Huelva, Puertollano, Zamora, and Gijón, and another corridor tying Gijón, Barcelona, and Cartagena. The Ministry of Ecological Transition announced these initiatives but did not disclose the planned investment amount. In addition, the government is seeking EU funding to build two underground hydrogen storage sites in salt caverns located in Cantabria and the Basque Country. [Attribution: Spanish government statements]
The two main transportation corridors are considered a single PCI candidate, while each planned storage facility has an independent application that various promoters can join. Generally, transnational projects are categorized as PCI, yet internal corridors also qualify for assistance because they reinforce and facilitate international connections. [General PCI guidance, attribution to European energy policy documents]
The basis for these infrastructures traces to Spain’s self-described hydrogen backbone, designed by Enagás, the gas system manager and operator of the gas transport network. Green hydrogen, produced using renewable electricity and emitting no CO2, is planned to expand as both production and demand grow. [Policy overview, attribution: energy sector analyses]
No more pipeline
Spain commits to a future built on green hydrogen and moves away from expanding international interconnections for transporting natural gas. Up to two months ago, plans included reviving a new gas pipeline project with France through the Pyrenees, known as MidCat, or launching an underwater gas link with Italy. Neither option is moving forward. [Policy debates and project status, attribution: government briefings]
Spain and France shifted away from the MidCat concept, replacing it with a corridor that would carry only green hydrogen from 2030 and would be complemented by another hydrogen-only link between Portugal and Spain. The government is also preparing to terminate the megaproject to construct an underwater gas pipeline between Italy and Barcelona and Livorno, a project previously viewed as a bridge for natural gas before potential hydrogen use. Earlier assessments suggested a 3 billion euro allocation for this pipeline. [Strategic energy reviews, attribution: sector analyses]
Management is reorienting its approach to foreign gas trade and signaling a full commitment to the clean energy transition centered on renewable hydrogen. This shift is reflected in official statements from the Ministry of Ecological Transition. Spain’s current plan foresees no new facilities dedicated to natural gas transport, instead prioritizing future green hydrogen plants. CO2 emissions will be minimized as this hydrogen is produced from renewable energy, with the aim of decarbonizing sectors where electrification proves challenging, such as heavy industry and transport. [Official statements, attribution: Ministry sources]
From the Spanish gas industry to adjacent European projects, a reoriented strategy favors new hydroelectric collaboration with France and a natural gas pipeline plan with Italy only as a transitional option, and simultaneously, a move to increase export capacity for natural gas in the near term. The long-term aim remains the green hydrogen revolution, a possibility the government has evaluated but not pursued in earnest. [Industry outlook, attribution: government and industry analyses]