An underwater pipeline to carry green hydrogen between Barcelona and Marseille will cost around 2 billion euros ($2.1 billion), according to preliminary estimates of the project agreed between Spain, Portugal and France, two sources told Reuters.

It comes as an energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine has accelerated European plans to bolster renewable energy as an alternative to Russian gas. Spain and Portugal aim to become clean hydrogen hubs and net energy exporters, causing tensions with France which plans to produce its own hydrogen using nuclear energy.

The pipeline will only carry hydrogen in order to meet EU funding criteria, though “improvements” could be made in future to allow for some gas, a Spanish government source said.

French President Emmanuel Macron and his Spanish and Portuguese counterparts Pedro Sanchez and Antonio Costa intend to apply for European Union funding for the project as early as next week, said the Spanish government source and an Elysee official.

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(Source: Reuters, Dec. 9-2022)