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2022-12-09 at 12h56

Portugal, Spain, and France put forward a plan for green hydrogen energy connections

Prime Minister António Costa with the President of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Alicante, 9 December 2022 (photo: Pool Moncloa/ Fernando Calvo)

The Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa met in Alicante with the President of the Spanish Government Pedro Sánchez and the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron to present the details of the H2Med energy connection project, the first major green corridor that can link the Iberian Peninsula with the French city of Marseille. 

The meeting, also attended by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was held at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

This meeting is "yet another step towards fulfilling the political agreement of 20 October", which adds "another source of energy produced in the Iberian Peninsula to the rest of Europe", stated António Costa.

The Prime Minister noted that "alongside the four electricity connections agreed on – two in operation and another two in the design stage or being built – and in addition to the natural gas connections that already exist between Portugal and Spain, we have now added a corridor that is exclusively designed for green hydrogen".

"This changes the paradigm significantly, because besides being simply importers and re-exporters of energy we will also strengthen our position as producers and exporters of energy to the rest of Europe", he underlined.

To the hydrogen connections, hydrogen that is produced using renewables and less polluting energies, we add the existing natural gas connections between Portugal and Spain, and the other electricity connections", he further noted.

On green hydrogen, António Costa claimed that "for natural reasons, the Iberian Peninsula is one of the best sites in Europe to develop renewables"

"And, accordingly, we have lower energy production prices than other countries, namely for solar. This makes green hydrogen produced in the Iberian Peninsula particularly competitive. In addition to meeting the Peninsula’s needs, we have the capacity to export to the rest of Europe", he added.

The export capacity to supply the rest of Europe makes the "Green Energy Corridor" a true "common interest" project for the European Union, said António Costa, recalling the European goal of decreasing energy dependence on third parties.

The three Governments will submit the "Green Energy Corridor’s" application for European funding by 15 December.


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