Today, the German Embassy in Madrid hosted a high-level event titled “Scaling Up Green Hydrogen for Domestic Use and Export: The Role of the Southwestern Hydrogen Corridor, Cooperation and Partnerships”. Organized by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the German Energy Agency (dena), the event brought together around 80 stakeholders from across the hydrogen value chain in Spain, Portugal, France and Germany.
 
The Southwestern hydrogen corridor, which is intended to connect Spain, Portugal, France and Germany via the H2Med and Hy-FEN pipeline projects, has the potential to transport up to 2 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually. Its commissioning date is scheduled for 2030.
 
Stefan Wenzel, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Action, as well as Joan Groizard Payeras, State Secretary for Energy in the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge of Spain, and Mechthild Wörsdorfer, Deputy Director-General for Energy at the European Commission underscored the relevance of the Southwestern hydrogen corridor and reaffirmed their commitment in supporting its swift development.
 
This vision was shared in Madrid today by a large number of leading companies in the hydrogen and energy sector, who signed a joint declaration of intent to create an “Alliance on the H2Med Southwestern Hydrogen Corridor”. This alliance aims to accelerate the development of the Southwestern corridor, align project timelines and foster information exchange.
A non-binding call for interest, which is currently ongoing to assess the markets needs of producers, shippers and offtakers  acceptors in all four countries planning to use the infrastructure, is an important step in the commercial realization of the project.

The projects forming the corridor are recognized as Projects of Common European Interest (PCI). The German import strategy assigns the Southwestern Corridor an important strategic role in order to partially cover the expected hydrogen demand through imports. It is of strategic importance not only for Germany, but also for Spain, Portugal and France, as it will facilitäte the ramp-up of gigawatt hydrogen production and storage projects and will enable the transport and extraction of hydrogen along the route.
 
The Alliance was established by Moeve, BP, thyssenkrupp nucera, DH2, Elyse energy, HDF, Hynamics, QAIR, SEFE, SHS-Stahl-Holding-Saar, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Enagás, GRTgaz, OGE, REN and Teréga. The alliance is open and inclusive and more companies are encouraged to join in the future.
 
The German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action acknowledges this Alliance as a pivotal step towards advancing the Corridor, emphasizing its importance for cross-border collaboration and European partnerships in building a sustainable hydrogen economy.