France, Portugal And Spain Agree To Create Green Energy Corridor Linking Iberian Peninsula With Europe

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has agreed with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, to create, as a priority, the Green Energy Corridor, which will connect Spain, Portugal and France to the European Union’s energy network.

The agreement includes a commitment to complete the renewable gas interconnections prepared for the future between Spain and Portugal, linking Zamora with Celourico da Beira; to develop a maritime pipeline connecting Barcelona with Marseille, as the fastest and most efficient option for linking the Iberian Peninsula with Central Europe; and to technically adapt these hydrogen infrastructures to transport other renewable gases, as well as a limited proportion of natural gas as a temporary and transitory energy source.

The three leaders also expressed their full support for accelerating and expanding electricity interconnections between the Iberian Peninsula and France to achieve an electrically connected Europe.

In this context, the three Leaders agreed on four points concerning energy interconnections between Portugal, Spain and France.

First, they decided to abandon the Midcat project and instead create, as a matter of priority, a Green Energy Corridor connecting Portugal, Spain and France with the EU’s energy network.

Secondly, they agreed to conclude the future-proof renewable gas interconnections between Portugal and Spain, namely connecting Celourico da Beira and Zamora (CelZa); to develop a maritime pipeline connecting Barcelona with Marseille (BarMar) as themost direct and efficient option to connect the Iberian Peninsula to Central Europe; and these hydrogen infrastructures must be technically adapted to transport other renewable gases, as well as a limited proportion of natural gas as a temporary andtransitional source of energy.

Third, regarding electricity, they expressed their full support for accelerating efforts to finalizethe new electricity connection through the Bay of Biscay. They agreed to identify, assess and implement new electricity interconnection projects connecting France and Spain, in order to achieve an electrically-connected Europe

And finally, the three Leaders agreed to meet again in Alicante on December 9, to decide on the calendar, sources of financing and cost issues related to the implementation of the BarMar component of the Green Energy Corridor between Portugal, Spain and France. Their respective Ministers of Energy will immediately begin the preparatory work on these issues, as well as on the reinforcement of electricity interconnections between Spain and France; in this they will work closely with the European Commission.