Paris is enraged that Berlin and Madrid have not endorsed its intention to have EU law designate hydrogen produced using nuclear power as “green.”
According to diplomats, France, Germany, and Spain are currently embroiled in a new nuclear power debate. Berlin and Madrid’s refusal to back Paris’ proposal to classify nuclear-powered hydrogen as “green” under EU law has infuriated the French capital.
A multibillion-dollar hydrogen pipeline from the Iberian Peninsula through France to Central Europe might also be halted by the issue, and it could also cause a delay in the adoption of green energy legislation in Europe. The conflict might become public during the EU summit today.
According to officials, France accused Spain and Germany of breaching their commitments to consider “low-carbon energy” clean that they made in Barcelona and Paris. This expression is used to denote nuclear energy. A hydrogen pipeline connecting Barcelona and Marseille was given the go-light by French President Emmanuel Macron in October, and the project was formally launched in Barcelona in January. Following a conference in Paris, Germany was added to the project since it intends to acquire hydrogen from the Iberian Peninsula and further south in order to become independent of Russian gas.
Nuclear energy has long been used to generate electricity in France. The government, therefore, requests that the EU’s new renewable energy targets include “red hydrogen,” or hydrogen produced using nuclear power. At the moment, “green hydrogen,” which is created using power from renewable sources, is used in this.
French sources claim that Macron’s acceptance of the ‘H2Med’ or ‘BarMar’ pipeline project was in exchange for Spanish and German commitments to red hydrogen. Government representatives in Madrid mentioned a “misunderstanding.” When it comes to other legislation, like the Gas Market Directive, it is willing to be flexible, but not when it comes to renewable energy sources. “Nuclear power cannot be categorized as renewable energy, therefore “red hydrogen” cannot be. This cannot be done, “From within the Spanish government, it was said. A representative of the German government expressed his skepticism over any formal agreement to accept “red hydrogen” as “green” in exchange for the pipeline. Perhaps the French thought the partners would accept it more readily, but that is a different issue.
Two European officials predicted that Macron would bring up the subject during the EU summit on Thursday. He might threaten to stop the pipeline as retaliation. A diplomat from southern Europe stated that it is obvious that France will only grant the all-clear if it is permitted to utilize the tubes with “red hydrogen.” A number of EU representatives voiced concern that the disagreement would affect other political initiatives, like the reform of the RED-3 gas market regulations.
