Strategic hydrogen transport projects developed by NaTran and Teréga in southern France recognized as being of European importance

The European Commission has reaffirmed the PCI status for the H2med project through its cross-border components, CelZa and BarMar, confirming the significant progress already made. This solid basis allows the corridor's momentum to strengthen : the PCI list now confirms the extension to other crucial projects aligned with the vision of the European Hydrogen Corridor. New infrastructures, specifically MidHY and HySoW, have been integrated. These projects consolidate H2med's ambition to become a truly complete and resilient hydrogen backbone, ready to connect South-Western Europe to the consumption centers in central European countries.

The HySoW (Hydrogen South-West) project is particularly important as it is a dedicated hydrogen transport network in South-West France, extending over 650 km and integrating massive underground storage capacity in the Landes region, which could reach 500 GWh by the early 2030s.

The MidHY project, approximately 200 km in length, will connect HySoW to the HY-FEN project, which is developed by NaTran. HY-FEN is the French backbone of the H2med project, running across France from the South (Bouches-du-Rhône) to the North (Moselle), and whose role in the energy transition was highlighted by the support of the 5 Regions it crosses last July.

For the greater South of France, the MidHY projects by NaTran and HySoW by Teréga are designed to interconnect and decarbonise the industrial and mobility hubs in the Occitania and Nouvelle-Aquitaine territories through green and low-carbon hydrogen flows. They will play a central role in regional planning by contributing to its economic development, industrial attractiveness, and national energy sovereignty. The Calls for Interest (AMI) conducted by Teréga and NaTran in recent years have demonstrated, on one hand, an anticipation of demand for significant volumes in the area, driven by the chemical industry and the production of e-fuels for the mobility sector. On the other hand, they showed an excess hydrogen production in the South-West compared to local consumption, which could also be routed via HY-FEN to meet the needs of other regions in France and other European countries (notably Germany).

The integration of these projects into the Delegated Act proposal is a major development accelerator. The PCI label grants them access to simplified permitting procedures and potential financial support under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF Energy).