With the main objective of reducing dependence on Russian gas, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz once again supported the construction of a gas pipeline. According to Scholz, this is an infrastructure that needs to be built now, as the current situation “dramatically” shows the need for this alternative.
“This kind of pipeline would be a big relief to the current situation,” he said. And he added: “That is why I strongly supported the approach of such a project in conversations with Spanish and Portuguese colleagues, as well as with the French President and the President of the Commission,” he declared.
Here, Antonio Costa heard the appeal and pledged all national commitment. Germany can count 100% on Portugal’s commitment to building the gas pipeline. Today to natural gas, tomorrow to green hydrogen,” the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter.
The possibility is then on the table. But is it good for Portugal? “It makes perfect sense and puts Portugal in a privileged position”, begins XTB’s analyst Henrique Dom, Nasser do SOL, in support. “It is important to highlight here that Portugal is the country most affected by the cuts in Russian gas supplies to Europe, as most of the natural gas supplied to Portugal is produced via North Africa. The port of Sines has also been an important channel.
Within the range of possibilities, the analyst argues that this would be a more favorable and sustainable outcome in the “medium or long term”, which would not have “barriers to construction” with Germany’s support. Also, he says, “Considering the urgency of the situation, the time for laying the gas pipeline should be shortened.”
Asked how Portugal could help with this move from the Russian side, Henrique Dom said the port of Sines “could be used as a logistics base for transporting and distributing LNG to the rest of Europe.” This, and the fact that the port’s potential has not yet been fully exploited, the current circumstances that Europe is going through, seem likely to increase the importance of the port in the European panorama.
However, “Portugal receives natural gas from North Africa which, if agreements are reached to increase supplies, could be used throughout Europe”.
It is recalled that Nasser do SOL found in April that the government was already working on the construction of a solution to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Northern Europe, allowing alternative energy supplies to countries such as Germany. Poland depends on Russian gas imported via the Nord Stream pipeline.
The project, called Europe’s Atlantic Front (but it can also be called ‘Miguel Torca’, because it is based on the author’s famous phrase: “The Portuguese do not change, they carry”), was presented by the Minister of Economy. , António Costa Silva. , the Prime Minister, António Costa, immediately approved, instructing the former president of Bartex and therefore an expert in the energy raw materials market, to make every effort to implement it.
In this sense, there was even a first working meeting to analyze and discuss the project between Minister Costa Silva at that time and his colleagues in Infrastructure, Pedro Nuno Santos and the Environment, Secretary of State for Energy Duarte Cordeiro, João Calamba , and José Luis Cacho, President of the Port of Sines.
De Costa Silva’s idea involved building a temporary solution between Sines and northern Europe until a gas pipeline could be built, which would have to cross Spain and France.
Portugal will ensure the shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from large ships from the US, Nigeria or other producing countries, using planned investments for a hydrogen supply project to the port of Sines and the rest of Europe. For small, shallow boats, it can be taken to Northern Europe. One of the problems with supplying Northern Europe is the limitation of the North Sea to deep draft vessels and the concentration of navigation. It is not suitable for small boats with draft.
In addition, in Costa Silva’s proposal, in the second stage, racing on the railways, the transport of LNG on night trains, using the Spanish high-speed network connected to the European TGV network via France – disappeared from the signs. Badajoz.
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