Renewables developer Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has unveiled plans for a 2GW green hydrogen project in the Aragon region of northeastern Spain together with five consortium partners including Spanish gas network operator Enagas and wind turbine maker Vestas.

The consortium behind the Catalina project, which could ultimately supply c.30pc of Spain’s current hydrogen demand, also includes Spanish utility Naturgy and Spanish fertiliser company Grupo Fertiberia.

Consortium members have signed a letter of intent to realise the project. The investment required and the specific participation of each partner will be approved in due course, CIP says.

“Spain, and in particular Aragon, offers good conditions for the development of this technology due to its excellent solar and wind resource, the political backing as well as the proximity to demand centres,” says Soren Toftgard, a partner at CIP.

40,000t/yr – Capacity in phase one

Phase one of the project will consist of a 500MW electrolyser coupled with 1.7GW of wind and solar power capacity, with green hydrogen production capacity of 40,000t/yr. First-phase development is at an advanced stage, with construction scheduled to start at the end of 2023, CIP says.

In phase one, green hydrogen will be sent via pipeline from Aragon to Valencia, where it will feed into a new 200,000t/yr green ammonia plant. Green ammonia will be further upgraded into green and sustainable fertilisers within Fertiberia’s existing facilities. The hydrogen produced will also be used for the decarbonisation of other industrial processes and blending into the Spanish natural gas grid.

Further development of the Catalina project is expected to bring electrolyser capacity up to 2GW, coupled with 5GW of combined wind and solar power.

Catalina will reduce emissions by 1mn t/yr of CO₂e in its first phase and up to 2.5mn t/yr when it reaches full implementation, CIP says.

The project will make a significant contribution to Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan on Renewable Energy, Renewable Hydrogen and Storage, which is aimed at positioning Spain as a technology leader in the production and management of green hydrogen, CIP adds.

The Spanish government’s hydrogen roadmap calls for 300-600MW of electrolyser capacity in 2020-2025, rising to 4GW in 2030.

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Author: Stuart Penson