Spain wants to be first centre related to renewable hydrogen of the world. Energy groups are preparing dozens of projects for green hydrogen production facilities that use electricity from renewable energies for their production, and the Government is supporting a network of wide corridors of hydro channels, both domestic and international, to transport future energy.
Green hydrogen is being called one of the next energy revolutions in a few years, with the aim of replacing natural gas with an emission-free green gas in economic sectors that are struggling to electrify their processes. The energy sector is preparing for this and the Administrations are working on it. But whether the predicted explosion is so remains to be seen and tested.
and with this goal Spain prepares first major check to test real interest that energy companies have to produce hydrogen, and big industry to consume it. Enagás, the manager of the Spanish gas system and operator of the gas pipeline network, plans to launch the first hydrogen supply and demand matching mechanisms in the country during 2023, according to documents submitted by the group to the CNMV. presentation of the annual results last week.
In this way, Enagás is a Market test of how to match the hydrogen consumption that industrial groups plan to make with the output expected by energy companies. The mechanisms that the company plans to launch initially will not be binding and will not work until the second half of the year.
The Enagás plan includes setting up some sort of test bench to conduct the first major survey of major industry’s real interest in green hydrogen use, and eventually testing anticipated demand to gather useful information for sizing required infrastructures. and to transport hydrogen in the future.
In principle, the aim is to wait for the Government to update the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC), which includes planning how it will be distributed among different electricity generation technologies by 2030, and what the Ministry of Ecological Transition should do. Review and amend as required by the European Commission.
Enagás’ intention, as acknowledged by its CEO, Arturo Gonzalo Aizpiri, invite major distributors to participate in this new matchmaking mechanism already operating gas networks. Therefore, the company will seek to include companies such as: nedgia (Naturgy), Redexis, Nortegas, Extremadura Gas or Madrileña de Gas, among others. “We want to include gas distributors in Spain. They need to be involved in this joint effort,” he said.
H2 backbone
Enagás worked on the so-called design for years. Spanish hydrogen backbone, considering the construction of major internal transport corridors as well as international connections. Green hydrogen, which does not generate CO2 emissions as it is produced only with electricity from renewable energies, is planned to be expanded and developed as production and demand increase.
Spain, France and Portugal agreed to promote the first major hydrogen corridor in the European Union and later joined Germany in the initiative. A pharaonic project called H2Med that aims to be the key, with planned investments of around 2,500 million euros supporting the renewable hydrogen revolution To gradually replace natural gas in economic sectors where electrification is difficult or impossible.
The original plan, agreed upon between Madrid, Paris and Lisbon, was to connect the three countries by a two-part corridor. operational between 2028 and 2030. One section will connect Spain with Portugal (between Celorico da Beira and Zamora with an investment of 350 million) and another with France (between Barcelona and Marseille by an underwater tube that will cost 2.135 million). After adding Berlin, the metro network will cross French territory until it reaches Germany, and the goal is to deploy it to other countries in northern and central Europe.
Spain, France and Portugal submitted the H2Med candidacy to the European Commission to obtain European funds financing 30-50% of the planned investment. However, Spain also submitted the petition alone to have the EU recognized as projects of common interest. construction of two large internal green hydrogen transport corridors.
It is a large corridor. Huelva, Puertollano (Ciudad Real), Zamora and Gijón and another to connect Gijon, Barcelona and Cartagena. In addition, the Executive is also seeking EU funding to build two underground storage facilities for hydrogen in saline cavities. Cantabria and the Basque Country. Enagás calculates that an investment of 4,670 million euros will be required for the internal facilities.
While the PNIEC is expected to be updated, Spain is currently aiming to reach green hydrogen production capacity. 4 gigawatts (GW) from now to 2030, which means maintaining 10% of the target the European Union has so far set in its hydrogen strategy for the entire continent.