On November 7th, the H2med promoters launched a Call for Interest (CFI) for a transnational initiative to interconnect hydrogen networks from the Iberian Peninsula to North-Western Europe, involving Portugal, Spain, France, and Germany, according to Enagás's release.
The CFI aimed to identify the needs of all regions along the H2med Corridor, particularly the national hydrogen backbones being developed by the five project promoters by the early 2030s. It also sought to assess the needs of future infrastructure users across the entire hydrogen value chain. The results will guide the optimization of infrastructure design and the establishment of operational specifications.
The H2med promoters hosted an online webinar to present the results of this CFI and shared their analysis of the main trends and figures. This presentation follows the recent announcement of the CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) results. Nearly 170 companies responded with over 500 reported projects, demonstrating significant interest in the proposed infrastructure and confirming H2med's crucial role in achieving the decarbonization and reindustrialization objectives of European stakeholders. These results align with the REPowerEU framework, which aims for 10 Mt of domestically produced renewable and fossil-free hydrogen and 10 Mt from imports, and the recent Net Zero Industry Act, both of which underscore hydrogen's critical role in the EU's decarbonization and reindustrialization efforts.
The Iberian Peninsula demonstrates strong export potential as of 2030 (0.4 Mt/year for Portugal and 1.22 Mt/year for Spain), reaching full BarMar capacity by 2032. In Spain, these results also confirm the potential revealed in Enagás' 2023 market test. According to the results, expected Spanish production in 2035 is 4.6 Mt total, with 2.6 Mt for domestic consumption.
The call also revealed interest from North African countries in transiting their hydrogen production into Europe from 2040 onwards.
In France, the CFI indicates significant volumes with strong market consumption and production trends. Consumption could reach nearly 0.9 Mt/year by 2050, driven primarily by the chemical industry and e-fuels production for the mobility sector.
West German consumption projects focusing on supply from H2med are projected to utilize half of H2med's capacity by 2035. The H2med corridor is making a significant contribution to meet this demand, expected to reach 17 to 21 Mt/year by 2040 according to the German Ministry of Economics and Climate Affairs. The figures collected by OGE reflect a portion of the German hydrogen market, as primarily OGE's potential hydrogen customer base participated in the CFI.
The H2med promoters (REN, Enagás, Teréga, NaTran, OGE), along with German and Spanish government representatives, and private companies across the value chain, will extend the H2med Alliance created last December in Madrid. This alliance will play a crucial commercial and advocacy role, ensuring continued support for the corridor through regular meetings.
The H2med project aims to interconnect hydrogen networks from the Iberian Peninsula to North-Western Europe, involving Portugal, Spain, France, and Germany. It is a key initiative in Europe's efforts to decarbonize its energy system and achieve climate neutrality.