Repsol leads a consortium to accelerate green hydrogen with investments of more than 3,200 million

Repsol has launched Shyne (Spanish Hydrogen Network), a project to lead the development of renewable hydrogen in Spain through the mobilization of a total investment of 3,230 million euros, thus putting itself at the head of the race unleashed among the big players in the energy sector to lead the promotion of this technology in the country.

Specifically, Shyne, which will concentrate an investment by Repsol of about 2,250 million euros – almost 90% of the ‘capex’ of the multi-energy for green hydrogen until 2030 – was born as a consortium, the largest in Spain for this technology, made up of 33 entities from different sectors with the aim of promoting ‘green’ hydrogen projects in all areas of the Spanish economy and promoting decarbonization through this energy vector, key in the energy transition.

At the presentation ceremony, which was attended by the Secretary of State for Energy, Sara Aagesen, and the Secretary General of Industry and SMEs, Raül Blanco, the CEO of Repsol, Josu Jon Imaz, described Shyne as a “very motivating” initiative that will “allow to join capacities, join forces and contribute with more synergies” to achieve the goal of decarbonization in the country.

In addition, the director highlighted the backbone capacity of the project, with a presence in a dozen autonomous communities of the country, and to allow Spain to take advantage of its technological and industrial capacity “to be a leader at European level” in the development of green hydrogen, also generating more than 13,000 jobs, “most of them industrial, which are more stable, better paid and more resilient,” he added. “To achieve climate neutrality there is not only one way, there are many ways, and renewable hydrogen appears as a clear pathway, the best solution in the future for heavy transport and industry,” he said.

Together with Repsol, leading institutions and companies from the energy, industry or transport sectors such as Enagás, Alsa, Bosch, Celsa, Talgo, Scania, Iberia, Navantia, Sidenor, Pymar, SEPI or Tubacex, among others, are part of the consortium.

As collaborating partners of the projects are eleven associations, technology centers and universities, such as the Spanish Hydrogen Association (AEH2), the National Center for Experimentation of Hydrogen Technologies and Fuel Cells (CNH2), the Spanish Society of Ceramics and Glass, the Higher Center for Scientific Research (CSIC), the Automotive Technology Center of Galicia (CTAG), the Foundation for the Development of New Hydrogen Technologies in Aragon (FHa), the Foundation Energy Research Institute of Catalonia (IREC), Tecnalia and Cidetec, as well as the universities of Castilla-La Mancha and Alicante.

Two gigawatts by 2030

The project was born with ambitious objectives for the development of renewable hydrogen production, with goals to install 500 megawatts (MW) in 2025 and two gigawatts (GW) in 2030, which represents half of the aspirations set out in the Hydrogen Roadmap of the Government of Spain.

In addition, it aspires to generate an ecosystem that connects the large regional initiatives around hydrogen that are already being launched, such as the Basque Hydrogen Corridor (BH2C), the Hydrogen Valley of Catalonia and the Hydrogen Valley of the Region of Murcia. It also foresees the creation of two new innovation hubs, whose objective will be the development of competitive technologies that are still under development, such as photoelectrocatalysis.

For her part, the Secretary of State for Energy, Sara Aagesen, considered that the project represents a “very unique and necessary initiative at this important moment” in the race for the promotion of renewable hydrogen, considered “strategic” and an “opportunity that cannot be missed” to be “leaders”, she said.

“Renewable hydrogen is a country project and a fundamental piece in the puzzle to complete decarbonization,” said Aagesen, stressing that the objective is for Spain to be able to “innovate and design” in this technology, “being from the beginning” of its development. “We are in a decade of great career for technological leadership and Spain and its companies want to be in that race,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of Industry and SMEs, Raül Blanco, said that Spain “has a unique opportunity and all the capacity to lead the industrial value chain of hydrogen in Europe”, for which this project “is a great example”.

Administration Help

On the other hand, the CEO of Enagás, Marcelino Oreja, who also participated in the event, stressed that public-private collaboration “is critical” for the promotion of green hydrogen, for which he asked for “help” from the Administrations, “not only with funds, but speeding up the procedures”.

“If not, we will not arrive on time, we need help in simplifying the administrative process. We are in a privileged place because of the sun and the wind, but we are competing with another and collaboration is fundamental,” he said.

At the forefront of this project, Repsol thus takes the lead in the race for green hydrogen, which has become a workhorse in the Spanish energy panorama, with the main groups in the sector immersed in leading its development.

HYDROGEN PERTE

Renewable hydrogen has become for Spain a basic pillar within the country project. In fact, the Government launched a roadmap with the aim of being a leader in this technology that establishes, among others, the goal of reaching 4 GW of production capacity by 2030, 10% of the EU total. The quantity and quality of renewable resources give the country a competitive advantage in the development of renewable hydrogen, with the aim of becoming an international hub for this technology.

Such is the priority role that the Government has granted it that it will be the element of the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE) to promote the ‘green’ energies that receive more support, with a total of 1,555 million euros, which are estimated to mobilize another 2,800 million of private capital. It will thus add 4,355 million euros, just over a quarter of the 16,300 million that the Executive intends to mobilize with this PERTE for renewables.

Source: Five Days