France’s Macron shoots down fuel pipeline deliberate by Spain and Germany – “Costly, pointless and never in time” – Muricas News

MADRID.

President of France Emmanuel Macron the chancellor of Germany doesn't heat up Olaf Scholzin to the proposal that a new fuel pipeline be constructed from Spain throughout the Pyrenees and related to the community of EU nations in France.

In line with Macron, the proposed MidCat pipeline would value a complete of three billion euros, could be dangerous to the surroundings, and wouldn't assist Europe on this winter’s power disaster.

Scholz and the Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez mentioned collectively that they assist the development of “new switch hyperlinks” when Sánchez final week attended a gathering of the German authorities close to Berlin by invitation.

The MidCat fuel pipeline is a mission already below development, which was deserted three years in the past as unprofitable. One other hundred kilometers of pipelines are prepared in Spain.

“I don’t perceive why we’re going round like Pyrenean mountain deer with this theme,” Macron mentioned when answering journalists’ questions on Monday of this week.

He had reportedly mentioned the matter with Scholz earlier than that.

On Tuesday, the EU Fee additionally introduced that it'll not actively promote the MidCat pipeline, however will depart the matter to be agreed between the states. The Fee had beforehand implied that the pipeline could possibly be financed from EU funds.

Spain continues to drive the mission

The Spanish authorities says it nonetheless plans to hunt additional assist for the MidCat pipeline at a gathering of EU power ministers on Friday.

The benefit of the pipeline could be that it could be potential to make use of Spain’s massive capability to soak up liquefied pure fuel, or LNG.

Spain’s seven LNG terminals correspond to a couple of third of the present capability of the EU nations – though extra LNG terminals are already being in-built Germany as properly.

There are at the moment two small fuel pipelines between Spain and France, which have been used this 12 months to export pure fuel from Spain. The MidCat pipeline would greater than double the transmission capability.

However in keeping with Macron’s data, the prevailing pipes have thus far solely been used 50 p.c. He mentioned that in August the pipelines even carried fuel once more from France to Spain.

Macron additionally promised to vary his place if Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez has a adequate justification for the MidCat pipeline. Judging by every thing, nonetheless, Macron doesn't count on to listen to enough justifications.

Spanish Minister of the Surroundings liable for power coverage Theresa Rivera has proposed that the MidCat pipeline may later be used for the switch of inexperienced hydrogen – however in keeping with Macron, the pure fuel pipeline just isn't technically appropriate for the switch of hydrogen.

As a substitute of receiving hydrogen produced in Spain, Macron mentioned he needed electrical energy from Spain to supply hydrogen in France.

Additionally, the electrical energy transmission connections between the nations are at the moment quite shaky, with a capability of solely 2,800 megawatts.

An undersea transmission cable is below development, which is scheduled to extend the ability of electrical energy transmission connections to five,000 megawatts in 2027.