The gas infrastructure operators Enagás and Teréga, renewable hydrogen producer DH2 and energy company GazelEnergie, signed a protocol of agreement on the French-Spanish Lacq Hydrogen project.

This project studies starting up:

• The production and supply of renewable hydrogen from Spain to France between DH2 and GazelEnergie.
• Hydrogen transport from Spain to France between Enagás and Teréga.
• The storage and transport of hydrogen through the Teréga network for its supply to the GazelEnergie renewable energy plant.
• The production of renewable energy in the 100% available combined cycle plant managed by GazelEnergie.

Lacq Hydrogen is part of the Spanish Green Crane project to produce and export renewable hydrogen from Spain. It is one of the first stages, that can be replicated, of building a European hydrogen backbone. This vision presented in July 2020 by Teréga, Enagás and nine other European TSOs operating in nine member states foresees the gradual emergence of a European hydrogen network. The aim is to deploy 6,800 km of pipelines by 2030 to connect the “hydrogen valleys” and 22,900 km of hydrogen networks across Europe by 2040, 75% of which will be converted natural gas pipelines, connected by new pipeline sections (25%).

The project, presented to the call for expressions of interest launched by France in June 2020 (Innovative projects of European scope or national on the conception, production and use of hydrogen systems) as an Important Project of Common European Interest (PIICE), aims to become one of the first European milestones in the strategic hydrogen value chain, driven by the growing market demand for renewable energy.

Lacq Hydrogen is part of the hydrogen objectives declared by France (to create a sustainable and carbon-free international hydrogen sector by 2030) and by the European Union (to produce 10 MMt of green hydrogen by 2030 at a competitive price). The Lacq Hydrogen project contributes directly to the carbon neutrality targets set by the European Union and France and highlights the ambitious initiatives taken by industries towards greener energy.