Aragon Leads Green Hydrogen Initiatives Across Spain
Aragon sits at the forefront of a broader push to position green hydrogen as a pivotal energy vector for the 21st century. The European Commission authorized Spain and twelve other member states to advance and invest in clean-energy research, innovation, and infrastructure for the hydrogen-value chain. The EU will provide public funding totaling €5,200 million to support research, industrial applications, and the building of infrastructure for green hydrogen and the associated battery value chain. Among the seven Spanish projects approved, two are based in Aragon—nearly 30% of the national total—reflecting the region’s growing role in decarbonization and energy transition, with investments approaching €200 million. One initiative is led by Endesa in partnership with Industrias Químicas del Ebro (IQE); the other is a collaboration with Energías de Portugal (EDP) and Térvalis.
A Teruel group, led by Portuguese energy company Generoso Martín, will pursue ammonia production—the primary feedstock for fertilizers—using a novel industrial process that integrates green hydrogen. Through the IAM Caecius project, the two partners aim to derive sustainable fertilizers from renewable sources.
The project targets an annual output of up to 15,000 tons of green ammonia. In collaboration with Grupo Térvalis, the initiative has already demonstrated the potential for sustainable fertilizer production reaching as high as 100,000 tons. When paired with other organic fertilizers, it could support crop needs across as much as half a million hectares managed by the Teruel entity. Realizing these ambitions requires electrolyzers with a total installed capacity of 25 megawatts to enable an annual green-ammonia production of about 3,000 tons.
Beyond decarbonizing the agri-food sector, these efforts are expected to reduce fertilizer production costs by leveraging gas-dependence reductions for many participating firms. The sector has faced profound pressure when ammonia facilities paused or curtailed output due to rising natural gas prices, impacting farmers, ranchers, and consumers across the chain.
Endesa, operating through its renewable arm Enel Green Power, has proposed a 7.2 MW electrolyzer project in Alfajarín, a town in the Zaragoza region. The hydrogen plant will be supported by renewable-energy parks with a combined capacity of 115 MW, underscoring the integration of hydrogen with clean electricity generation.
The investment in these energy infrastructures is reported to be around €52 million, according to Endesa sources, with plans to deploy close to €3,000 million across Spain for green-hydrogen distribution. Additional initiatives in the region, besides IQE, include proposed investments in Andorra. A licensing process for renewable-energy projects at the Mudéjar node is also underway, with network access and capacity being reconsidered after the closure of a thermal facility. The outcome of this competition was anticipated within the month.
Jose Bogás announced in early 2021 a plan to install a 60 MW electrolyzer at a single site to produce green hydrogen using wind and solar power plants that have a total capacity of 335 MW. The proposal also included establishing an electrolyzer manufacturing facility at an investment of €50 million.
Industrias Químicas del Ebro, which operates plants in Zaragoza (Malpica), Bilbao, and Barcelona, plans to use hydrogen for furnaces and boilers. Although current high-temperature applications remain challenging, ongoing research aims to meet future demand as the sector advances. The Zaragoza-based firm cautions that its project will not begin before 2026 and will involve transporting hydrogen by tanker from Alfajarín. Work began in June 2021.
Eduardo Villarroya, managing director of Ebro Chemical Industries, notes that early-stage green-hydrogen projects will rely on European subsidies. The growing involvement of multinational companies signals a rising demand for decarbonization. Aragon did not merely participate in these macro-projects; it helped shape their design over the past year, positioning the region as a key driver of Spain’s energy transition.