Spain is leading the great European green hydrogen energy revolution. All major Spanish energy companies and other industrial groups are announcing a plethora of projects to develop hydrogen infrastructure. It is a gas that has become the new technological frontier in the energy sector, as the panacea for the ecological transition.
Eiffage Energía’s strategy
The group’s strategy Eiffage Energía is to drive the ecological transition and to implement a low-carbon model by combining all available technologies on the road to sustainability. The aim is to be a national and international benchmark in the development of green hydrogen production projects, from electrolysis to decarbonize heavy transport or industry.
This capability is coupled with experience in the EPC field of large zero-emission power plants. In this regard, the group aims to be a pioneer in the field of hybridization of renewable generation plants.
To achieve this, we are currently working on a pilot project, located at the headquarters in Albacete. The aim is to familiarize ourselves with the hydrogen production process and to draw operational conclusions through smart data monitoring and energy management systems.
Photovoltaic solar technology with electrolysis
This pilot combines solar photovoltaic technology with electrolysis to produce day-time green hydrogen using renewable energy from the sun. This renewable hydrogen produced will serve two applications or use cases: on the one hand, to power a 5-tonne forklift truck (covering the sustainable mobility variable); and also to charge a stationary fuel cell that will generate electricity and return it to supply the building’s night-time consumption (serving as an energy storage system).
The technologies required, which are not mature, remain expensive. That is why industrial innovation projects such as this one are of vital importance for technology to advance and democratize on the road to energy transition.
These facilities will be launched at the year-end at Eiffage Energía’s headquarters in Albacete. The aim is to test the device, optimize it and build a scalable and replicable commercial offer for customers.
Thanks to this innovative project, we are set to become a benchmark in the renewable hydrogen sector, one of the energy vectors of the future.
