HyDeal Spain: the largest renewable hydrogen hub in the world

HyDeal Spain, the first industrial implementation of the HyDeal Ambition platform, will become the largest renewable hydrogen giga-project on a global scaleaccording to the classification made public by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

The project, promoted by companies such as ArcelorMittal, Enagás, Grupo Fertiberia or DH2 Energy, was officially established as joint venture in November 2021 after a one-year pre-feasibility study, and now it will give way to the development, financing and construction of a whole set of infrastructures for the production and transport of green hydrogen in our country.

The first stage of the project will supply a major industrial complex located in Asturias, producing renewable hydrogen through electrolysis and at a competitive price compared to other fossil fuels thanks to solar plants located in different parts of the northern half of Spain. The start of production is planned for 2025, and it expects to have a total installed capacity of 9.5 GW that will supply electrical energy to 7.4 GW of electrolysis capacity by 2030.

ArcelorMittal and Grupo Fertiberia, along with other organizations that will join HyDeal Spain, will be the major buyers and consumers of this clean energy, with a plan to acquire 6.6 million tons of renewable hydrogen over the next 20 years, which would mean avoiding 4% of Spain’s current CO2 emissions. In this way, the purchasing companies intend to advance in the production of green steel, green ammonia, green fertilizers and other low-carbon industrial and energy products, also positioning themselves as European leaders in their respective markets.

The contribution to energy independence will be another of the great benefits of this initiative, since HyDeal plans to supply the equivalent of 5% of the natural gas imported by Spain.

Inflection point

Thus, this platform joins the energy transition in Spain at an important turning point, generating new industrial opportunities and sustainable jobs in collaboration with the different local communities where it will be present. Furthermore, the goals of the project follow the line of the institutional ambition of turning the country into a world pioneer in the production of clean energyas established by the European Green Pact and its “Objective 55” (Fit for 55) for the reduction of emissions by 55% in the year 2030.

Thierry Lepercq, president of the platform and spokesperson for HyDeal Ambition, explained that “HyDeal Spain is the first concrete implementation of the green hydrogen model with a cost of €1.5/kg announced in February 2021. We send a historic message to all energy users: green hydrogen is not just about small, local, high-cost projects. It is now a complete product, capable of competing with coal, oil and natural gas both in cost and volume. It is the perfect large-scale weapon against the climate crisis and skyrocketing energy prices.”

José Manuel Arias, president of ArcelorMittal, stated that “HyDeal España is a strategic alliance for ArcelorMittal, which will give us access to the volume of green hydrogen needed to progress on our decarbonization roadmap in steel production.

Javier Goñi, CEO of Grupo Fertiberia, has pointed out that “our participation in this ambitious alliance is a new and significant step in our roadmap towards decarbonization. Based on the competitive green hydrogen of HyDeal Spain, we will invest in a new state-of-the-art green ammonia plant and highly flexible to meet the needs of our fertilizer factory in Avilés”.