An electrolyzer factory linked to a German company will produce green hydrogen, with Nordex aiming to establish a facility in Navarre, alongside discussions for Asturias. The regional government of Navarre joined the project by investing 15 million euros and offering expedited approval and tax incentives to accelerate development.
Green hydrogen, viewed as a vital energy vector for decarbonizing heavy industry and transport, is triggering significant business opportunities and regional competition for substantial, well-funded investments from the European Union. To generate green hydrogen from water, electrolyzers powered by renewable energy are required to separate hydrogen from oxygen, and demand for this equipment is expected to rise in the coming years.
Nordex, a leading wind turbine producer and a major shareholder in the Spanish group Acciona, seeks to become a reference in electrolyzer manufacturing. Its goal is to create an alkaline electrolyzer capable of operating with variable wind and solar inputs. The EU has designated this technology development program as an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI). In January, Spain allocated 11.6 million euros from the Next Generation EU framework to support the initiative.
In January, Nordex sources told La Nueva España that a three-year plan for technology development and prototyping could culminate in late 2025 at Nordex’s headquarters in Barasoain, Navarre. In the commercial phase, an industrial activity could extend to Asturias, according to Nordex representatives. The company had explored collaboration with the state mining company Hunosa to locate the plant on industrial land in Asturias’s mining regions.
Plans have evolved. Nordex and the Navarre coalition government (PSOE, Geroa Bai and Podemos) aim to progress beyond purely technological development and prototypes to incorporate production and commercialization of electrolyzers for green hydrogen. In Barasoain, alongside Nordex, the regional public developer Sodena (Sociedad de Desarrollo de Navarra) has joined the project. Sodena’s involvement in the company was formalized in the trade registry on April 13.
As announced by the Government of Navarra, the agreement with Nordex commits both parties to contribute 15 million euros each over the next five years to advance the development and initial industrial deployment of a commercial electrolyzer prototype. The plan anticipates an engineering team of roughly 35 professionals to design and test the electrolyzers, followed by industrial distribution and the creation of a regional supply chain. At full commercial scale, the project is expected to employ more than 150 workers directly, with cumulative investment surpassing 70 million euros over eight years.
During the signing, Nordex Executive Director José Luis Blanco highlighted Navarra’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem as a key reason for selecting the region. The project will also benefit from direct public capital participation and a 15% tax relief approved by the Navarra government for ventures tied to the renewable hydrogen value chain. On April 5, Navarra’s government designated the Nordex electrolyzer project as of regional interest, enabling expedited administrative procedures to accelerate deployment.
The piece missing in the renewable hydrogen value chain in the Principality of Asturias has long been electrolyzer manufacturing. Existing hydrogen projects in the region include large-scale consumption initiatives by plants such as ArcelorMittal and Fertiberia, supported by EDP and supplied from Castilla y León via HyDeal to convert the Aboño coal plant and the Robla Hub projects backed by Naturgy and Enagás. Industrial players in Asturias, such as Duro Felguera and TSK, are already pursuing green hydrogen initiatives, while Idesa, part of the Daniel Alonso group, has started producing tanks for the sector. Iberdrola’s Puertollano project in Ciudad Real also illustrates the national push toward hydrogen, with Asturias seeing several pioneering efforts from Hunosa, Nortegas, Duro Felguera and Alsa involving green hydrogen and its potential integration into the natural gas grid or road transport. The Nordex initiative adds the possibility of local electrolyzer production, a critical element for advancing green hydrogen distribution across Europe. Nordex is not the only electrolyzer project linked to Asturias; HyDeal’s Thierry Lepercq has previously indicated the possibility of establishing an electrolyzer facility in Asturias in line with a broader plan for green hydrogen supply to decarbonize major regional industries.
The piece the region has long sought in the renewable hydrogen value chain
Electrolyzer manufacturing completes the renewable hydrogen value chain in Asturias. Hydrogen projects in the region include large-scale industrial plans such as those associated with ArcelorMittal, Fertiberia, Naturgy, and Enagás, with energy and supply chains spanning across nearby Castile and Leon and other energy players. Local engineering firms like Duro Felguera and TSK are already involved in green hydrogen ventures, and components from Asturias firms such as Idesa of the Daniel Alonso group are producing storage tanks for the sector. The Nordex plan opens the door to domestic electrolyzer production, a crucial step toward meeting Europe’s hydrogen distribution targets. Other regional discussions have suggested similar electrolyzer facilities in Asturias in tune with HyDeal’s broader decarbonization goals for major industry in the area. The conversation underlines how critical electrolyzers are to the practical implementation of green hydrogen across Europe, making the Nordex project a notable milestone in Asturias and Spain’s energy transition.”