Strategic gas pipeline Midcat will be ready by 2020

Barcelona (CNA).- The Midcat project, a gas pipeline which is set to be built through the Catalan Pyrenees and connect with Central European networks, will be operative by 2020. “The EU expects that the Midcat will be built by 2020”, assured EU Commissioner for Energy and Climate Action, Miguel Arias Cañete. During the ‘Natural gas and the energy security of Europe’ seminar, organised by Gas Natural Fenosa, he stated that there is a 470 million euros budget already assigned for this project, which aims to reduce Europe's dependency on Russian gas by 40%. Catalan Minister for Business and Employment, Felip Puig “lamented” the delay in this strategic infrastructure and attributed it to “the lack of enthusiasm” of the French government.

The opening session of the ‘Natural gas and the energy security of Europe’ seminar, held this Monday and organised by Gas Natural Fenosa, focused on the need to increase the connection between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of EU.

The aim is to reduce as much as possible Europe's dependency on Russian gas, which still provides 66% of the energy supply, and improve the “security” of this importation. 

During his intervention, Catalan Minister for Business and Employment, Felip Puig “lamented” the delay on this strategic infrastructure which he described as “basic” for Catalan industry’s competitiveness. He attributed this delay to “the lack of enthusiasm” of the French government to build this interconnection.

Although highlighting the “complexity” of the project, due to French government opposition, EU Commissioner for Energy and Climate Action, Miguel Arias Cañete emphasised his “wish”, which is shared with the rest of the European Commission, “to make the connection between Spain and France a reality by 2020”. Arias Cañete assured that there is already a budget assigned for this infrastructure; 470 million euros, from which 170 million would correspond to payments to be made by the Spanish government, with the rest, to build the connection through the north face of the Pyrenees, being in French territory.