Experts warn that although Spain aims to become an international benchmark in the renewable industry in the coming decades, the country is suffering from a structural deficiency of this natural resource, which will be exacerbated by the effects of climate change.
The green hydrogen and renewable energy fever came to Spain by force and with loads of money behind it. The government approved a PERTE for Renewables and Renewable Hydrogen last December.. The purpose of these plans, financed by European funds, is to be a lever for the reindustrialization of the Spanish economy. Some examples of this deployment are the 2,000 million BP investment to produce green hydrogen at its refinery in Castellón, the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley with an investment of 3,000 million by Cepsa, or the Green Hydrogen Valley of Catalonia with an investment of 1,200 million. . Another big bet for the future is the electric car. Sagunto in the Community of Valencia has managed to secure an investment of $4,500 million to build a gigafactory battery. But all these plans may be curtailed by water scarcity, an everlasting problem exacerbated by climate change in southern Europe, according to experts.
Depending on the installation and the quality of the water, from 16 liters to 100 liters may be required to produce one kilogram of green hydrogen. Green hydrogen producer Lhyfe Spain estimates that 3,000 liters of water can produce green hydrogen. 750 cars traveled 40 kilometers. “Producing green hydrogen through electrolysis means a significant water expense, companies should keep this in mind when operating in Spain,” says Charles Kirby, Sustainability partner at EY Spain, committed to rationalizing and improving water use. Infrastructure to cope with the structural water shortage that Spain is facing. “We have seven of the ten most water stressed basins in Europe”Points out Gonzalo Delacámara, researcher and director of the IE University Center for Water and Climate Adaptation.
Some industrial projects have already encountered this problem. The only claim for the green hydrogen plant built on the former Cemex estate in Mallorca is its high water consumption. The Reviure Tofla community claims that the facility will consume 15,000,000 million liters of water per year., the same amount used to supply monthly to La Lloseta, a municipality of about 5,000 inhabitants. According to the Balearic Islands Water Portal, the Lloseta urban area consumed an average of 18,000,000 million liters of water each month in 2019.
Another example is the electric car manufacturer Tesla’s gigafactory in Grüenheide (Germany). The North American company had requested a water supply of 3.6 million cubic meters per year, equivalent to approximately 1,400 Olympic swimming pools. In addition, the facility will monopolize 30% of the drinking water available to the area’s 40,000 residents. The authorities offered him 1.4 million cubic meters. To produce an electric car, at least three times more water is needed than a conventional car. The Seat factory in Martorell produced 480,000 cars in 2018, mostly combustion engines, using 1.2 million cubic meters of water.. Tesla faced a similar problem for a factory setup in water-stressed Nuevo León (Mexico).
danger of desertification
In the case of Spain, up to 75% of the region is in danger of desertification. The Center for Hydrographic Studies estimates that the water resources of the Spanish basins will decrease by between 3% and 7% by 2040. and the State Meteorological Service noted in a recent study that there has been a gradual expansion of arid climates in Spain over the past three decades as a result of climate change. In Catalonia, where the reservoirs are at 27% of their capacity, human water consumption restrictions could reach Barcelona if it doesn’t rain in the coming weeks. The regions currently experiencing the greatest water stress are Andalusia, Murcia, part of the Valencian Community, and Castilla-La Mancha, along with the Balearic and Canary Islands. “If there’s already a water stress problem today, it’s definitely going to be bigger in 20 years. Companies have to take that into account when you make long-term investments,” says Charles Kirby of EY Spain.
“The availability of water resources in Spain is very diverse compared to neighboring countries. Industry is aware of this and the availability of water. It is a conditioning factor of its activity in almost every region of Spain”Francisco Sánchez-Miel, head of business development at Aqualia Industrial, a water management company owned by the FCC and the IFM fund with projects in 17 countries, explains.
increased interest
Despite this situation, autonomous communities’ interest in green hydrogen is growing. Four of the 17 autonomous communities submitted plans to launch ambitious green hydrogen production projects in March. and according to the report many people are working on them Spain’s passion for hydrogen It was published in early April by the Royal Institute of El Cano. The same study also highlights one of the biggest risks involved in committing to hydrogen. “The scarcity of this resource can be a limiting factor for production. The Mediterranean climate combined with the erratic rainfall means that water consumption for hydrogen projects in parts of Spain during the dry season can compete with agricultural consumption,” the report said. It should not be forgotten that 70% of the country’s water resources are used for agricultural activities. The study also points to regional differences in hosting green hydrogen projects. The same study says, “The lack of treatment plants in the interior of the country anymore can be a real barrier to new renewable electrolytic projects.”
“I don’t think a company based in Spain will leave for now. But for some water-intensive industries, this can condition their location.. Companies need to make sure they have this resource,” explains Charles Kirby. Gonzalo Delacámara points out that it is necessary to take structural water shortages into account in Spain’s renewable energy commitment. While the Ecological Transition does not provide additional information on the measures they are working on to tackle this situation, it he knows there is a problem.
“Water reuse It allows to overcome any limitation related to water resources for renewable energy projects.. Gigafactories and other large industries are increasingly recognizing this and have been implementing the technology for years,” says Francisco Sánchez-Miel of Aqualia Industrial.
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An example of this is Cepsa’s agreement with the publicly traded company Arcgisa in Campo de Gibraltar to use the wastewater to produce green hydrogen. “This way we reduce the use of fresh water and support the circular economy”get out of the company.
Although Spain is one of the countries most affected by drought, other European countries also experience more intense drought periods each year. A study by Water Risk Filter estimates that by 2050, 15% of the European population will be at high risk of water scarcity in Europe. Between January and February, According to the French meteorological service, 32 consecutive days have passed without precipitation in France, an event unheard of for three decades.. Last summer, the country was already having problems cooling its nuclear reactors, to which it has dedicated 12% of all its water resources. Italy lost 20% of its water resources between 1991 and 2000, according to data from the Higher Environmental Protection and Research Institute. And last summer, all of Central Europe was plunged into a deep drought that bounded the Rhine and Danube canals, affecting even the transport of goods.