
Important Milestone for the H2med Hydrogen Import Corridor: BarMar Company Founded
The three participating transmission system operators have announced significant progress for the H2med project. Enagás (Spain) – through its subsidiary Enagás Infraestructuras de Hidrógeno (EIH) –, NaTran and Teréga (France) have signed the shareholders‘ agreement for BarMar. This agreement provides for the establishment of a joint venture dedicated to the development of the BarMar project of common interest (PCI), a renewable hydrogen pipeline that will connect Barcelona (Spain) with Marseille (France) – together with the CelZa pipeline project (pipeline between Celorico da Beira, in Portugal, and Zamora, in Spain) – it forms an important part of the H2med corridor.
This is an important step, coming one year after the signing of a joint agreement in June 2024. It creates a clear structure and accelerates the implementation of this central component of the European Union’s first clean hydrogen corridor. It is expected to cover 10 per cent of hydrogen consumption in Europe by around 2030.
The new company, based in southern France in the Sud-Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, forms the backbone of the project. The shares are divided between EIH-Enagás with 50 per cent, NaTran with 33.3 per cent and Teréga with 16.7 per cent. This distribution corresponds to the shares in the H2med project, in which Spain and France each hold a 50 per cent stake. Francisco Pablo de la Flor García of Enagás has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the new company.
This important milestone was reached just a few days after executives from all five gas network operators involved in H2med met with Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, who is responsible for green, fair and competitive transition. The meeting underscores the EU’s support for the H2med project.
The momentum of the project is further strengthened by the recently signed grant agreements with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) for the BarMar and CelZa (Celorico–Zamora) projects. The funding committed corresponds to 100 per cent of the funds requested under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and covers 50 per cent of the development costs.
These funds are crucial for the start of the technical studies, maritime surveys and environmental impact assessments required for the approval process.
“The establishment of this joint venture embodies our shared commitment and determination to implement this important energy infrastructure for Europe. This marks the beginning of a new operational phase in which we will tackle the technical and regulatory challenges with an integrated team and a common goal: to make H2med a reality”, said Arturo Gonzalo, Managing Director of Enagás.
Source: https://h2medproject.com/h2med-hydrogen-corridor-reaches-key-milestone-with-the-launch-of-the-barmar-company/