Repsol, in partnership with Enagás Renovable, has greenlit a 100 MW electrolyzer project in Cartagena, marking a major step in Spain's energy transition.
Energy giant Repsol has officially approved the construction of its first large-scale renewable hydrogen plant, a 100 MW electrolyzer to be built at its industrial complex in Cartagena, Spain. This landmark project, developed in collaboration with Enagás Renovable, which holds a 25% stake, signifies a major milestone in Repsol's strategic plan to decarbonize its industrial operations and solidify Spain's position in the emerging green hydrogen economy.
The total investment for the project surpasses €300 million and is expected to be operational by 2029. Its strategic importance has been recognized by the European Commission and the Government of Spain as an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI), securing a substantial €155 million in public funding through the Spanish Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE).
The new facility will have the capacity to produce approximately 15,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year. This hydrogen will be crucial feedstock for Repsol’s complex, enabling the manufacture of essential products with a significantly lower carbon footprint. This initiative is a core component of the company's roadmap to systematically replace conventional, or 'grey,' hydrogen used in its industrial sites with renewable sources.
The environmental impact is significant: the electrolyzer alone is projected to avoid the emission of up to 167,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. Repsol emphasized the scale of this reduction, noting it is equivalent to two-thirds of the entire fleet of pure electric vehicles in Spain in 2024. Furthermore, the project is a significant economic catalyst, estimated to generate around 900 jobs—direct, indirect, and induced—through its development and construction phases.
The Cartagena project is a pivotal development for the Hydrogen Valley of the Region of Murcia, one of Spain’s major regional decarbonization initiatives. Its success will align large-scale hydrogen production capacity with the specific needs of local industry, creating a more efficient energy ecosystem.
Repsol, already the largest producer and consumer of hydrogen on the Iberian Peninsula, currently concentrates 60% of national production and accounts for 4% of the hydrogen consumed in Europe. The new electrolyzer will be a technological challenge led by Repsol and Enagás Renovable, an independent energy producer specializing in renewable gases and decarbonization initiatives with a portfolio of 20 projects across Spain.
The project is designed with the future in mind, including the potential to feed the renewable hydrogen into the existing natural gas network and the planned Spanish Hydrogen Backbone.
