A strategic hydrogen 
connection for Europe 

 The hydrogen transported through this pipeline, of Portuguese origin, will be generated by the electrolysisof water, using all the electricity needed from 100% renewable sources, such as the sun and wind. This is why this hydrogen is considered “green” (renewable), as no greenhouse gases are emitted during its production.     

The H2med project and its CelZa interconnection line will be of fundamental strategic importance in the European hydrogen context. H2med will be able to transport up to 2 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year, representing 10% of Europe’s projected consumption by 2030 according to the REPowerEU plan. This makes it a key piece in Europe’s new energy horizon.  

The CelZa (Celorico da Beira-Zamora) interconnection line will connect Portugal and Spain with a capacity of 0.75 million tonnes per year. It is a hydro-pipeline approximately 270 km long intended exclusively for the transport of green hydrogen. The project is particularly relevant in the framework of the REPowerEU plan, which strives to attain European energy independence.  

The CelZa connection, part of the H2Med hydrogen corridor between Portugal and Spain, will be composed of several key infrastructures.   

Firstly, there is a hydrogen pipeline consisting of underground pipelines and above-ground valve positions that act as auxiliary facilities. A compressor station is also envisaged, located in the town of Coreses, as an extension of the existing compressor station, equipped with compressors driven by electric motors and high-voltage lines for its energy supply.  

This network will be integrated with other strategic infrastructures: the internal hydrogen network in Portugal (PCI Project 9.1.1), the internal hydrogen network in Spain (PCI Project 9.1.3) and the interconnection line between Spain and France (PCI Project 9.1.4), known as H2Med-BarMar, which will be conducted via a underwater pipeline between Barcelona and Marseilles.  

In addition, there are two underground hydrogen storage projects in Spain: Hydrogen Storage North-1 (PCI 9.24.1) and Hydrogen Storage North-2 (PCI 9.24.2), which complement the operational capability of this transnational network.   

During the second quarter of 2025, Enagás awarded the engineering works and environmental studies, and between 2025 and 2026 the basic and detailed engineering of the project, environmental studies and other permits will be implemented.  

Construction work on the pipeline is scheduled to begin in late 2027-2028, with completion expected in the early 2030s.  In parallel, the documentation and deployment process of the Public Participation Concept Plan (PCPP) of this interconnection is being implemented. This is a requirement established in the European regulation for the so-called Projects of Common Interest (PCI), with the objective of identifying from an early stage the sensitivities and concerns about the project in the region where the infrastructure would be implemented.   

The deployment of this public participation process will take place from November 2025 and is expected to be completed in December of the same year.   

The impetus of green hydrogen can contribute to reindustrialisation, foster innovation, and draw socially responsible investment. The hydrogen infrastructure network in Spain, together with its international connections, will act as a driving force for multiple sectors of the national economy, generating new business opportunities.   

This deployment will have a positive economic impact on the country and its regions, boosting their growth and competitiveness. A gross investment of 3.31 billion euros is foreseen until 2030,approximately 350 million euros of which will go to the CelZa project.   

In addition, it will contribute to industrial and technological development by creating a hydrogen industry and an innovative business fabric. During the construction phase of the network, an estimated 17,200 jobs will be created, and around 900 jobs will be maintained in the operation and maintenance phases.   

In the specific case of H2Med (CelZa and BarMar), some 1,700 jobs are expected to be generated during construction and 300 during operation and maintenance.  

Data source: “Socio-economic impact of the development of the hydrogen economy in Spain”, a report issued by PwC for Enagás in 2023.  

Environmental protection is a top priority at all stages of the project. After an exhaustive identification and assessment of the possible environmental impacts that the project may have on the affected areas, it has been assessed that the project will have a minimal environmental impact, since the final installation of the pipeline is underground, with no visual or environmental impact, and once its construction is completed, the affected land will be fully restored to its exact previous situation, with immediate recovery.  In parallel, different preventive and corrective measures have been defined to minimise the consequences during the different phases of construction and implementation of the project.