Spanish firms are shifting into gear to leverage a forthcoming wave of green hydrogen, seen as a cornerstone for the economy’s decarbonisation. Energy and industry groups are positioning themselves to ride this new current and push well beyond the 2030 targets outlined by the government, fueling momentum behind the draft Spanish green plan for the decade that was forwarded to the European Commission.
The landscape in Spain already features a sprawling portfolio of nearly a hundred renewable hydrogen projects spread across the country. Green hydrogen, produced using electricity from renewable sources, is projected to spark a major shift in the energy sector in the coming years, with the aim of substituting natural gas with a zero-emission alternative. Electrifying many industrial processes remains a challenge, which heightens the importance of hydrogen as a versatile energy vector.
Spanish players have concrete ambitions for full-scale execution: 94 green hydrogen production facilities targeted by 2030. Recent updates compiled by the Chair for Hydrogen Studies at the Pontifical University of Comillas show electrolyzer capacity at about 17,200 MW, driving the process that separates hydrogen from water. (Source: Pontifical University of Comillas, Hydrogen Studies Chair)
What unites the project portfolio is a depth of commitment that exceeds the Ministry’s earlier set targets. The latest version of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) — still awaiting Brussels approval — reinforces Ecological Transition leadership, with Teresa Ribera serving as Acting President.
The revised plan foresees Spain achieving 11,000 MW of green hydrogen electrolyzers by 2030, a milestone that nearly triples the modest 4,000 MW indicated in the previously approved Hydrogen Roadmap.
Green bet for the future
Most projects remain in early stages, and it would be premature to assume universal success. Of the nearly hundred initiatives, only four are currently in operation and ten are under construction. Around twenty have begun the permit process, while more than sixty remain in feasibility studies.
Industry leaders such as Iberdrola, Endesa, Naturgy, Repsol, Cepsa, Enagás, and Acciona are racing to secure a foothold in the green hydrogen market, each backing ventures with high-value production facilities across Spain. The approach includes establishing regional hydrogen valleys — public-private ecosystems that connect producers with consumers and help scale green gas adoption.
Altogether, up to eleven hydrogen valleys are planned across locations including Puertollano, Andalusia, Catalonia, Extremadura, the Basque Country, Galicia, Castilla y León, Murcia, Aragon, and even Mallorca. The Spanish Hydrogen Association (AEH2) estimates total planned investments around 21.9 billion euros through 2030. (Source: AEH2 census)
Ambition at the helm
Gas industry leaders urge the future government to provide clearer hydrogen targets in the refreshed PNIEC to ensure a smooth rollout of this energy vector. Sedigas calls for a firm stake in achieving the 11,000 MW electrolyzer goal and for the new roadmap to consider blending renewable hydrogen with natural gas to decarbonise the gas sector.
Alongside this, Sedigas notes that ambition should extend to biomethane, which could curb direct emissions from waste or biogenic sources. Industry expectations place biomethane production between 35 and 47 terawatt hours (TWh), higher than the 20 TWh outlined in the PNIEC draft.