Repsol has begun producing renewable hydrogen at its Petronor industrial center (Biscay, Spain). The 2.5 MW electrolyzer can generate 350 tons per year of renewable hydrogen for industrial use, mainly in the refinery, as a raw material for manufacturing products with a lower carbon footprint.

The start-up of this electrolyzer is a milestone in Repsol's path towards zero net emissions, in which the transformation of its industrial facilities plays a key role. Petronor will be the site for two more electrolyzers, with a capacity of 10 MW and 100 MW, in the coming years. The latter has been recognized by the European Commission as an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI).

Repsol will install electrolyzers as a decarbonization lever in the vicinity of its other four large industrial centers in Spain. The unit in Cartagena will have a capacity of 100 MW and has also been qualified as an IPCEI. The unit in Tarragona, at 150 MW, will be the largest in Spain and has been selected by the European Commission as an innovative project to receive funds under the Innovation Fund program. Repsol plans to install 30-MW electrolyzers near its industrial complexes in Puertollano and A Coruña.

The company is the leading producer and consumer of hydrogen in Spain. It currently produces around 360,000 tons of hydrogen per year in its industrial facilities, which represents almost 60% of the Spain’s demand.

The start-up of this electrolyzer is also an important step for the Basque Hydrogen Corridor (BH2C), one of the most significant regional renewable hydrogen initiatives in Spain. Promoted by Repsol and Petronor, its objective is to create an ecosystem that is as efficient as possible, both in terms of manufacturing, transformation and logistics costs, coupling production capacity to the needs of the surrounding and newly created industry, as well as diversifying the uses of renewable hydrogen.