2023-07-30 04:09:00
Through Germany passes the development of hydrogen in Europe. It is the largest industrial power on the continent, but its capacity to produce the new energy vector is limited. This is confirmed in its roadmap to 2030, in which it reveals that it will have to import between 50% and 70% of its internal consumption for that year, between 95 and 130 terawatt hours (TWh) per year. And the question is who will be your supplier. Spain aspires to be the main beneficiary of the H2Med pipeline. Germany is clear that a part will come from the North Sea and the Baltic countries, but another part doubts between two options: the project that unites the Iberian Peninsula and France -and that has one of its main nodes in Asturias-, or another that unites Italy and Austria.
“In addition to the North Sea and the Baltics, connections with North Africa are currently being considered as priority corridors, either through France, Spain and Portugal (H2Med) or through Austria and Italy (southern corridor). Talks are being held with all the countries involved to promote joint generation and distribution clusters in both maritime areas,” says the German government in its roadmap.
The Italian-Austrian runner follows a pattern similar to the Spanish one. It has a political pact –Austria, Germany and Italy signed a joint letter for its development– and the plan was presented in December to the European Commission to obtain the qualification of Project of Common Interest, a status that would give it access to certain funds and permits.
It is the same procedure that Spain, France and Portugal have followed with the H2Med, a hydroduct that will cross Asturias from South to North, and from North to East, with a branch towards the industry of Aviles. In the presentation of the plan of Italy and Austria it is stated that “for the project to be carried out, a lot of public support is still needed”, while in the Spanish case subsidies of up to 50% are expected to cover the 2,500 million euros that it costs to connect Barcelona-Marseille.
The South Corridor project is 3,300 kilometers long. It is expected to come into operation in 2030 and has a hydrogen import capacity of more than four million tons per year – H2Med forecasts half – from North Africa.
The initiative establishes its hydrogen production center in North Africa – the Italian operator “is collecting signed letters describing the intention to produce (in Africa) around 2.5 tons of hydrogen – and reuses an extensive natural gas infrastructure to transport hydrogen.
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