French President Emmanuel Macron buries the Midcat.
After speaking this afternoon with the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, asked about the need for a new gas pipeline between Spain and France, Emmanuel Macron said that it is not necessary. The president has recalled that in the period of maximum tension - that is, in February - the two existing gas pipelines between Spain and France are barely being used at 53% of their capacity, with France exporting to Spain.
"In the midst of the gas crisis, we are not saturating the existing connections, and there is no need for Spain to export its gas capacity to France, since it is importing gas, while we are talking right now. I do not understand the problem in the short term that we are trying to solve," Macron argued.
Macron has raised the tone at a press conference on this matter. "To plagiarize one of my predecessors, I don't understand why we jumped like Pyrenean goats on this gas pipeline to explain that it would solve the gas problem. It's not true. It's a false fact. If we were at 100% utilization of our gas pipelines and If there was a need today to export gas to France, Germany or elsewhere, I would say yes. This is not true."
To conclude: "Investing today to have a third gas pipeline between France and Spain answers our question? I don't think so." The only possibility that he has hinted at is that "he was open to changing his mind on that point, if Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez argued convincingly."
The French president has limited himself "in favor of developing all the interconnections that make sense" and, in particular, "of continuing to intensify the electrical connections and interconnections between France and Spain", but without speaking specifically about gas.
The position of the French government has been oscillating in recent weeks. A week ago, the French Economy Minister, Bruno Le Maire, opened the door to study the Midcat gas pipeline project to connect Spain with France. But on Thursday, after the French Ministry of Energy Transition expressed its doubts, arguing that “it would in any case involve several years of work and cost several billion euros. Therefore, it is not a response to the current energy crisis”.
Another argument is that an infrastructure of this type would not be adapted to the European strategy to combat climate change. It is a permanent and long-term facility to transport gas, when the objective is to progressively eliminate dependence on fossil fuels, including gas.
Last Sunday, Le Maire announced the definitive change in direction, declaring that the Midcat "was not the priority". Today Macron has put the final point.
