Key milestone for the H2med corridor: BarMar maritime pipeline project moves into the detailed engineering phase (FEED)

The H2med consortium announces a major mile­stone in the development of the European Union’s first major green hydrogen corridor. Following the successful completion of pre-engineering studies (pre-FEED), the BarMar offshore project, which will connect Barcelona and Marseille, is officially entering its Front-End Engineering Design phase (FEED). This move into detailed engineering marks the start of a crucial stage in confirming the technical viability and final design of this international-scale subsea infrastructure.

From feasibility to detailed design

The completion of the BarMar pre-FEED phase confirmed the project’s overall technical feasibility, as well as the 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.

Moving into the FEED phase represents a critical transition from conceptual design to the project’s final technical architecture. This phase will draw on inputs from environmental and technical studies, as well as feedback received through the public consultation process in France and Spain, which concluded in July 2026. 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 the following activities:

• confirming the pipeline design and final route;
• finalising the compression station layout;
• preparing the permitting files;
• defining the technical specifications required for construction preparation and material procurement.

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) of BarMar before construction begins, with the commercial operation date in 2032.

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 these 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.

“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”, stated BarMar CEO Francisco de la Flor.

A strong political momentum for the H2med corridor

Alongside these technical milestones, a ministerial meeting under the High-Level Group on South-West Europe was held on 6th July in Paris, bringing together Energy ministers from Portugal, France and Spain, European Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen, regulators and operators to strengthen cooperation and align on the strategic rollout of the energy interconnections. This high-level representation, also in presence of Germany for the first time in this regional group, exemplifies the strong political momentum for European interconnections, amongst which the H2med corridor.