Spain, France, Portugal, and the European Commission have decided to convene a new technical meeting of the High-Level Group in September to further deepen the technical aspects of trans-Pyrenean electricity interconnections, according to sources from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
The three countries and the European Commission held the first ministerial meeting of the High-Level Group on interconnections in southwestern Europe in Paris this Monday, in which they reaffirmed their commitment to accelerate the reinforcement of the Iberian Peninsula's energy connections with the rest of the continent.
In addition to the Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, the meeting was attended by the spokesperson for the Government of the French Republic and Minister in charge of Energy, Maud Bregeon; the Minister of Environment and Energy of the Republic of Portugal, María da Graça Carvalho; and the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jorgensen, along with representatives of the electricity and hydrogen regulators and TSOs from the three countries.
The meeting took place in the context of European energy integration, with an agenda focused on trans-Pyrenean electricity interconnections, the Mediterranean hydrogen corridor (H2med) – considered one of the EU's energy highways – and the deployment of offshore wind energy.
Commitment to interconnections and new projects
The same sources indicated that all delegations have ratified that they remain fully committed to interconnections in southwestern Europe and that, furthermore, Spain and Portugal have called on the Commission for "greater ambition" in the contribution of community funds for these projects.
They also explained that progress on ongoing interconnections has been reported, following the inauguration last week of the tenth interconnection with Portugal and the continuation of works on the Bay of Biscay link, which will allow for further increases in exchange capacity with France. Likewise, the public participation process for the BarMar hydrogen interconnection, which is advancing in parallel in both countries, has been addressed.
The Ministry also emphasized that the meeting served to share plans for promoting infrastructure linked to offshore wind energy.
In this regard, they pointed out that Commissioner Jorgensen emphasized the need to make the most of Europe's potential in renewable energies and cross-border cooperation, while Spain insisted that it is developing the entire offshore wind value chain and on the importance of maximizing benefits for all citizens.
Role of renewable hydrogen in European competitiveness
Regarding renewable hydrogen infrastructure, the TSOs from Portugal, France, and Spain, as well as Germany, invited to the meeting, have participated in the discussions, "reflecting the interest of this energy vector for Europe as a whole," the same sources added.
As they highlighted, the importance of this new vector for areas where direct electrification is not viable and its contribution to the competitiveness of industries such as steel or the chemical sector, among others, has been emphasized.
Similarly, they indicated that the role of the European Hydrogen Bank has been highlighted as a tool to match supply and demand and continue promoting these cross-border infrastructures.