Spain-France hydrogen pipeline exits pre-FEED phase en route to final subsea design

July 17, 2026, by Nadja Skopljak

Following the completion of pre-engineering studies (pre-FEED), the BarMar hydrogen pipeline project, which will connect Spain and France, is entering the front-end engineering design (FEED) phase, set to confirm the technical viability and final design of the subsea infrastructure.

BarMar is a 400-kilometer offshore hydrogen pipeline project that will connect Barcelona to the industrial hub of Fos-sur-Mer, near Marseille, with a transmission capacity of 2 million tons of hydrogen per year (MTPA)

The completion of the pre-FEED phase confirmed the project’s overall technical feasibility and design basis for the compression station and pipeline. An advanced corridor route has also been defined, drawing on the initial findings of the environmental impact assessment, which is still ongoing.

The FEED phase marks entry into the project’s final technical architecture and will draw on inputs from environmental and technical studies, as well as feedback from public consultation processes in France and Spain, which concluded this month. In France, the concertation guarantors will publish a feedback report including recommendations, which will be taken into account by the project promoters.

The FEED phase will specifically support confirming the pipeline design and final route, finalizing the compression station layout, preparing the permitting files, and defining the technical specifications required for construction preparation and material procurement.

The next step will be awarding the FEED engineering design and offshore detailed marine survey. The FEED studies will also provide the technical basis needed by partners and investors to make the final investment decision (FID) before construction begins, with the commercial operation date in 2032.

The pipeline is part of the H2med project, the European Union’s first major green hydrogen corridor. It represents a transnational effort to connect the hydrogen networks of the Iberian Peninsula to those of France, Germany, and the whole of North-West Europe, enabling Europe to be supplied with affordable, renewable hydrogen by 2030.

The initiative was launched by France, Spain and Portugal, with support from Germany, and is promoted by the countries’ transmission system operators (TSOs) Enagás, NaTran, OGE, REN, and Teréga.

H2med hydrogen project advances with BarMar joint venture agreement

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Besides the BarMar pipeline, the project comprises a hydrogen interconnection between Celorico da Beira in Portugal and Zamora in Spain, called CelZa.

“We are moving from feasibility studies to concrete industrial modelling, a key step towards supporting Europe’s decarbonisation objectives. Designated as a Project of Common Interest (PCI) and Energy Highway by the European Commission, H2med aims for commissioning by 2032, provided that all regulatory conditions are met across the H2med corridor,” said BarMar CEO Francisco de la Flor.

Under the funding allocated in January 2025 to the H2med corridor projects by the European Commission under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the H2med-BarMar project benefited over €28 million, notably enabling the partners to finance engineering studies, along investments by the promoters. This includes marine and environmental survey campaigns, as well as all necessary works for environmental impact assessments and securing required permits.