Portuguese Hydrogen Backbone - Studies

ongoing

The objective of the PCI 9.1.1 ‘Portuguese Hydrogen Backbone (PT H2 Backbone)’, that forms part of the cluster 9.1 Corridor Portugal – Spain – France – Germany (hydrogen), is to connect Portugal’s major production potential for green hydrogen to the European hydrogen network, delivering almost 400 km of dedicated transmission pipeline, as the first section of the visionary H2med corridor. The H2med project is a transnational initiative to interconnect the hydrogen networks of the Iberian Peninsula to Northwest Europe, enabling Europe to be supplied with affordable green hydrogen by 2030. PT H2 Backbone will connect the production facilities for green hydrogen in Portugal to the Iberian Hydrogen Corridor, enabling Portugal to transport its surplus hydrogen to the net consumers further north, as well as for supplying existing and emerging industry clusters. The PCI 9.1.1 will convert 340 km of existing pipelines for natural gas transmission in Portugal to hydrogen and construct 65 km of new hydrogen pipelines to connect the production facilities for green hydrogen in Portugal to the Iberian Hydrogen Corridor. Namely, the repurposing will concern a section of approx. 76 km of the Cantanhede – Mangualde pipeline, a section of approx. 76 km of the Mangualde – Guarda pipeline and a section of approx. 188 km of the Guarda – Monforte pipeline. Furthermore, the project also entails the construction of a new pipeline between Figueira da Foz and Cantanhede of approx. 65 km. The production facilities for green hydrogen will be associated with the industrial centres of Figueira da Foz, Estarreja/Aveiro and Vila Velha de Rodão. This project comprises the first phase of the PCI 9.1.1 and consists of all studies required for permitting and procurement procedures and for developing the further technical and economic viability studies. The studies will also include the planning of the transition time, i.e. how to support consumers along the lines to be repurposed until they have converted their plant from natural gas to hydrogen. As a result of this project, all studies, permitting documents, construction tender documents, cost calculations and cost-benefit analysis of the entire PCI will be available, and the project will be ready for physical execution (construction works) as the next stage of implementation.