The Minister of Economy and Finance of the Generalitat, Jaume Giró, does not trust the times announced by the Central Government to build the MidCat. “It is neither realistic nor responsible” to shorten the construction period of the gas pipeline that would cross Catalonia to between eight and nine months, assured Giró in statements to TV-3, collected by Europa Press.
These statements come a day after the third vice-president of the Government and minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Theresa Riveraannounced this deadline, which was reiterated this Saturday by the Minister of the Presidency, Relations with the Courts and Democratic Memory, Felix Bolanos.
The number is the result of one study carried out by the operator of the Spanish gas system (Enagás) and the French (Teréga) for speed up construction of one new interconnection with the rest of the continent facing the energy crisis that may arise when Moscow turns off the gas tap. And although the layout will be similar to that of the MidCat – the part already built will be used so that only the remaining 100 kilometers to France must be built -, it is a new project which would work in the reverse direction (south-north) and which would also allow transport hydrogen
The aim is to double the capacity of the two current gas pipelines – which cross the Basque Country – with a new pipeline through Catalonia with a maximum flow of 7,000 million cubic meters. The project will involve an investment of 370 million euros, as estimated by Enagás in the drafting of its strategic plan.
Giró has remarked that the Generalitat is in favor of the construction of this gas pipeline, but has considered that the construction “will not be easy or quick”, so he has asked the central government to make a “realistic approximation” of the deadlines of the project. Enagás has pointed out that this eight-month period begins to count from the start of constructionwhen all prior authorizations are already in place.
In this sense, Giró has considered the project as one partial solution pending the approvals of the various French and European institutions and added that for France “it is not a priority”, since the country produces the 70% of your electricity through the nuclear energy France’s position is fundamental because it must commit to continuing the tube to the rest of the continent. In addition, the Spanish Government insists that the pipeline must be financed by Brussels.