A major gas pipeline project advocated by Madrid and Berlin has faced resistance from Paris. France is reportedly skeptical that the MidCat pipeline to Central Europe would help with the energy crisis.
Spain imports natural gas from Algeria through two undersea pipelines – the Maghreb-Europe and the Medgaz.
Dubbed the Midi-Catalonia Pipeline or MidCat, the project aimed to create a gas transit network spanning hundreds of kilometers across Spain and France and provide some 7.5 billion cubic meters of gas transit capacity.
It was first pitched in 2015, but was canceled in 2019 by France, which was to cover a major portion of its costs and deemed it financially non-viable.
The MidCat idea was revived in May 2022, amid fears of a looming energy crisis due to potential cuts in gas supplies from Russia amid the conflict in Ukraine. Madrid and Berlin are pushing hard to revive it, according to El Pais. Paris, however, appears unconvinced.
Such a project would require, in any case, many years [for it] to become operational. Instead, Paris suggested building more liquefied natural gas terminals, calling them smaller and faster investments.
It would take many years to complete just the relevant studies and other documentation related to such a project, the ministry argued, adding that MidCat is unlikely to help with the current energy crisis in the EU or the potential shortages this winter.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Berlin last week that he asked his Spanish and Portuguese counterparts to discuss the project, adding that he was in talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and the EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen.
Spain’s Third Deputy Prime Minister Teresa Ribera followed up by saying the Spanish part of the project could be ready in eight or nine months.
France’s energy transition ministry maintains that MidCat must be a subject to dialogue between the affected member states, adding that European solidarity and our climate goals should be taken into account as well.
France is afraid of green hydrogen [energy] from the south, said a Spanish MEP Nicolas González Casares, adding that the French authorities want to protect their nuclear power sources.
Rising global prices have led to an energy crisis in the EU. The cost of gas futures on the Dutch TTF hub exceeded $2,600 per thousand cubic meters this week, for the first time since March.
Prices are forecast to spike 60% this winter, exceeding $4,000 per thousand cubic meters. Earlier this month, the bloc approved a plan that would see member states reduce their gas consumption by 15%, in a bid to tackle the self-created energy crisis.
RT. com / ABC Flash Point Energy Crisis News 2022.
Hydrogen is not carbon free. The energy Germans would be mostly benefiting from that planned pipeline and no one else. Will the USA allow this since the US started that war between Russia and Ukraine so the USA can sell stolen gas and oil to Europe.
Very good points and the fracked gas from the USA will give a radiated glow to their cooker burners due to excessive amounts of radioactive material.
WEF population reduction eugenicists/ mass murdering ideologues.
Macron worked at Rothschild in the past, he is a member of the Cabal.
Europe is determined to self-destruct. It will be interesting to watch – from a safe distance.
Anything for green energy, even if it takes many years before they get to even 10% of green energy…and by that time, most of their population will starve and freeze to death. People in power in EU and US are TOTALLY disconnected from the reality. People should protest but in France, after the gilet jaune and the police shooting at people, taking eyes and arms off, it is getting harder and harder to motivate to get to the street…
EU countries are fighting each others development at the moment?