The province of Zamora in Spain is strategically positioned in the development of green hydrogen in the Iberian Peninsula, attracting significant investments. The Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Regional Government of Castile and León has opened to public information the electrolysis plant project for the production of green hydrogen in Granja de Moreruela.
Promoted by the company Inari Solar, S.L., the project includes a photovoltaic plant, associated electrical infrastructure and an electrolysis plant for the production of hydrogen. This plant will be powered by a 40 MW photovoltaic installation, which will produce the renewable energy necessary for self-consumption operation during sunny hours.
The Zamora hydrogen project
A clean energy vector, green hydrogen presents itself as a solution for storing energy and reducing polluting emissions. It offers various possibilities for decarbonizing processes and sectors that are difficult to electrify, functioning both as a raw material or product and in the synthesis of other compounds.
Hydrogen is an ideal candidate for long-term storage due to its flexibility in different end uses. Additionally, integrating hydrogen production with renewable energy can create a fully sustainable energy cycle.
Zamora’s strategic position in the development of green hydrogen in the Iberian Peninsula attracts investments in this type of renewable energy. The H2Med hydroelectric product, which will cross the province to transport green hydrogen from Portugal to France and then to Germany, will constitute Germany’s first major green corridor and a key energy hub in Europe.
Enagás, the main developer, agreed with operator OGE to expand the pipeline to meet demand from local businesses. The Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, as well as partners in Portugal, Spain, France and Germany, are participating in this initiative which aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
The objective of this energy project is to produce hydrogen to market it in trucks. The hydrogen produced will primarily be used for storage and distribution to green hydrogen consumers, including heavy transport and mobility as well as other industrial applications. This electrolysis plant will be part of the hydrogen production, sales and distribution system for refueling stations, also known as hydrogenerators.
Zamora factory attracts investment
The station planned by Inari Solar S.L. in Granja de Moreruela strengthens Zamora’s strategic position in the development of green hydrogen. The plant will have an electrical power of 40 MW and will produce hydrogen from demineralized water, with a capacity of up to 720 kg/h.
The production of hydrogen by electrolysis requires 116,910 m3 of water per year, guaranteed by existing catchments and the prospecting of new wells. The location of the project on the Villafáfila water table guarantees a favorable general state of the resource, both quantitatively and chemically.
The water undergoes a reverse osmosis process to bring the demineralized water to the electrolyser. After passing through a treatment plant, the 12 million liters of hydrogen will reach a purity greater than 99.999%, the standard required for use in fuel cells. The brackish water that is not discharged in the process is treated and used for irrigation. The excess will be discharged into the Valdecoso stream.
The PEM electrolyser (proton exchange technology) will produce hydrogen at a pressure of 40 bars. After the purification process, the hydrogen will be stored in tanks with a total estimated capacity of 40,000 kg, also at 40 bars. The project area will house the buildings and equipment related to the electrolysis plant, which will occupy an area of approximately 5,000 m².
The Granja de Moreruela plant will have up to 60 cylindrical tanks of 200,000 litres each, for a total storage volume of 12,000,000 litres over an area of approximately 1 hectare. These tanks will have a pressure of 40 bars and will be able to store up to 660 kg of hydrogen per unit, for a total storage capacity of 39.6 tonnes of hydrogen.