H2Med BarMar hydrogen interconnector

ongoing

The objective of the PCI 9.1.4 H2Med-BarMar hydrogen interconnector is to implement a renewable hydrogen pipeline linking Barcelona (Spain) and Marseille (France). The H2Med-BarMar interconnector is part of the H2Med hydrogen corridor, also called the Iberian hydrogen corridor, which is one of the main corridors of the REPowerEU plan and, together with the Nordic/Baltic Corridor, the sole one in Europe supplying renewable and low carbon hydrogen produced within the EU to demand centres also in the EU by 2030. This corridor will connect renewable hydrogen production centres in Spain and Portugal with demand centres in North-Western Europe, including France, Germany and the Benelux countries. H2Med-BarMar will be connected to the Spanish Hydrogen Backbone (PCI code 9.1.3) in Spain and to HyFen (PCI code 9.1.5) in France. The infrastructure for H2Med-BarMar includes a maritime pipeline, extending from the Barcelona LNG Regasification Plant to the port of Fos-sur-Mer, near Marseille, and a compressor station of a planned capacity of 144 MW situated within the existing LNG Regasification Plant in Barcelona. Previous conceptual and pre-feasibility studies have outlined several corridor routes. Two routing options were considered for Pre-FEED phase I: a deep-water route and a coastal route. The coastal route is currently preferred and Reconnaissance Surveys that were forecasted in the scope of pre-FEED phase I have been carried out as final part of Pre-FEED Phase I. The present CEF-E Studies include the pre-FEED and FEED analyses for the H2Med-BarMar hydrogen pipeline, the Barcelona compressor station and the landfall in Fos-sur-Mer. The project also aims at addressing and eliminating significant commercial and regulatory barriers. The studies will deliver a thorough evaluation of the technical, financial, environmental, and permitting aspects of the renewable hydrogen corridor. This includes an economic assessment featuring a market test, a cost-benefit analysis (CBA), the development of a commercially viable business case, and a proposal of CBCA to ensure fair allocation of costs and benefits among all stakeholders. The outcome of these studies will allow to enter the next stages in the implementation of PCI 9.1.4. H2Med-BarMar will be the first hydrogen transmission pipeline across the borders of the French and Spanish Member States. By transporting up to 2 million tons per year of renewable hydrogen, the project is expected to play an essential role in achieving European climate and energy objectives.