The Chairman of Enagás, Antonio Llardén, has stressed the crucial role of the renewable hydrogen network for the re-industrialisation of Europe. “Hydrogen infrastructures will be crucial in driving industrial competitiveness”, stated Llardén at the conference The role of Spain and Italy for growth innovation, sustainability and strategic infrastructure for a more competitive Europe, organised by Intesa Sanpaolo at the Italian Embassy in Madrid.
During his intervention in the panel discussion on The energy transition impact on infrastructure: the role of grid operators to foster sustainable mobility, Llardén stressed that green hydrogen will be essential to decarbonise those sectors that are difficult to electrify, both in industry and transport, a key challenge for Europe to become the first carbon neutral continent by 2050. “To achieve this, we need to electrify many sectors, but we cannot electrify them all. Decarbonisation can only be achieved with electrons and renewable gases,” he pointed out.
The Enagás Chairman argued that the most efficient solution for transporting hydrogen is through pipelines, and highlighted the opportunity for the EU to create a European hydrogen network. “For the first time in its history, the European Union is planning energy networks. Initially, the networks that already exist - electricity grids, gas grids - were created country by country. Now we have national networks with some interconnections,” he added.
Within this European network, the Enagás Chairman highlighted the essential role of the H2Med corridor, which will connect the Iberian Peninsula to the centre of the EU. Llardén highlighted the progress being made on the corridor, pointing out that the same morning the Official State Gazette (BOE) had published the resolution of the Council of Ministers agreement of 30 July authorising Enagás Hydrogen Infrastructures to provisionally develop its projects selected as a European Project of Common Interest (PCI): the Spanish hydrogen network, H2Med and two storage facilities.
Antonio Llardén also highlighted the signing of the Joint Development Agreement (JDA) between Enagás and the French TSOs GRTGaz and Teréga in collaboration with the German operator OGE (Open Grid Europe), for the development of the section between Barcelona and Marseille (BarMar), as well as a Side Letter with the Portuguese TSO REN for the connection between Celorico da Beira (Portugal) and Zamora (Spain).
The panel included the CEO of Abertis, Francisco José Aljaro; the Director of Infrastructure of S&P Ratings, Stefania Belisario; the Head of ESG Advisory, IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division of Intesa Sanpaolo, Erica Abisso; the Head of Industry Infrastructure, IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division of Intesa Sanpaolo, Riccardo Dutto, and was moderated by the European Coordinator of the TEN-t Atlantic Corridor, Professor Carlo Secchi.
