Spain is expanding its gas transmission capacity to France by about 18 percent, thanks to a new compressor added to a line in the Basque region. This summer, Teresa Ribera, the Third Vice-President and Minister for Ecological Transition, announced the reactivation of key infrastructure to bolster Europe’s gas security. The plan includes bringing the El Musel regasification plant in Gijón back online and creating a sea bridge linking Spain with Italy through Barcelona and Livorno. Three measures ground the government’s emergency action plan aimed at cushioning central European countries against a potential winter disruption of Russian gas supplies.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, toured the facilities with Enagás CEO Arturo Gonzalo Aizpuru. The Euskadour compressor in Irun, Gipuzkoa, has undergone a successful technical start-up to raise Spain’s export capacity by about 1,500 million cubic meters of natural gas per year, with the aim of supplying additional gas to Europe. This expansion is intended to support a broader export capacity increase of 18 percent, enabling Spain to supply France and equal to roughly 6 percent of the country’s overall natural gas consumption, according to the Ministry for Ecological Transition. At present, Spain operates two major pipelines: Irun in the Basque Country with a capacity of 2,000 million cubic meters and Larrau in Navarre with 5,000 million cubic meters. Cumulatively they reach a maximum annual capacity of 7,000 million cubic meters, a figure that roughly translates to 7 liquefied natural gas ships per month. The recent enhancements push total capacity to about 8,500 million cubic meters annually.
The capacity increase is not yet fully utilized, and adjustments to the French system remain pending. The winter campaign is anticipated to begin in November, with October serving as a window to market the extra capacity. As a result, the new compressor enables the possibility of routing additional gas through the Basque corridor, and it is expected to be activated on November 1, subject to demand from French partners. Official statements indicate that Spain is not currently delivering all the gas its pipelines can carry; in August, France, a net importer of gas, sent more gas to Spain through various routes. Analysts attribute this to Spain’s electricity generation needs amid drought and higher electricity demand, with expectations that this balance may shift during winter as energy dynamics evolve.
The vice president emphasized that the gas station is technically ready to dispatch gas when neighboring France requests it. She urged a forward-looking strategy, noting that the current conflict shows no clear end in sight. Renewable energy and robust cross-border interconnections are presented as the viable path forward. She also referenced a long-discussed project called MidCat, a gas pipeline from the Pyrenees through Catalonia to France, which has faced French resistance. The broader strategy centers on reliability and regional solidarity, rather than dependence on a single energy source.
Beyond gas pipelines, Ribera highlighted two complementary priorities that emerged during the summer. The return to operation of the El Musel regasification plant in Gijón will position the facility as a strategic storage and logistics hub for European gas supplies by early 2023, reinforcing regional supply security. Additionally, three major projects will enhance solidarity with Italy. These include upgrading the Barcelona regasification quay to accommodate larger cargoes and enabling a virtual gas pipeline that would feed regasification plants with small methane tankers, thereby assisting Spanish factories, particularly those in Barcelona, while supplying the wider European market. These measures underscore a coordinated European approach to manage gas flows, storage, and distribution amid ongoing energy market volatility.