Spanish energy company Moeve on September 17 marked the start of construction of the first phase of the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley, described as Europe’s largest renewable hydrogen project, at an event in Palos de la Frontera, Huelva, Manifold Times reported.
Named “Onuba”, the first phase is being developed at Moeve’s Energy Park in Palos de la Frontera. The project will initially have 300 MW of electrolysis capacity, with provision to add a further 105 MW.
Moeve said the project represents a joint investment of more than EUR 1 billion, covering associated infrastructure as well as a dedicated photovoltaic plant for self-consumption.
Moeve is leading the project with a 51% majority stake. The shareholder structure also includes Hy24, the world’s largest clean hydrogen private equity asset manager, and COFIDES, Spain’s public-private finance institution, which together hold a 29% stake as strategic partners.
The remaining 20% is jointly owned by Enagás Renovable, one of Europe’s leading renewable gas project developers, and Alter Enersun, a company focused on developing renewable electricity generation facilities.
The facility is expected to produce around 45,000 metric tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually and avoid approximately 250,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. Moeve said this is equivalent to the emissions generated by the internal combustion vehicle fleets of Huelva, Cádiz and Jaén.
The renewable hydrogen will be used to support the production of more sustainable fuels for road, aviation and maritime transport, while also contributing to the decarbonisation of other industrial sectors.
The plant will incorporate advanced technologies aimed at supporting the development of the emerging hydrogen market and setting new standards in energy engineering. Moeve said the facility will be its first digitally native plant, with a digital twin and unified data and Internet of Things platform integrated from the design stage to enable safer, more efficient and predictive operations.
The first phase of the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley has been designated a Project of Common Interest (PCI) by the European Union.
The project has also secured EUR 304 million in funding from the Spanish Government under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, financed by the European Union through NextGenerationEU.
The funding is part of the Renewable Hydrogen Valleys support programme and will contribute to the development of 405 MW of capacity within the wider Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley.
