Hydrogen infrastructure in Spain

The new European energy paradigm is primarily built upon two key pillars: ensuring security of supply and achieving decarbonisation. These pillars strengthen Europe's objectives in renewable energy and energy efficiency, while also facilitating the advancement of new infrastructure projects aimed at integrating EU markets.

Spain is in a favourable position due to its geographical location, industrial and technological capabilities and well-established natural gas infrastructure network. This advantageous position will serve as a basis for the establishment of future green hydrogen infrastructures. Thanks to its potential for renewable energy production, Spain also has the opportunity to become a leading player in the production and export of renewable energies, such as green hydrogen. This is a key factor in increasing European competitiveness and ensuring security of supply.

In order to assess the potential of the national green hydrogen market, Enagás launched a non-binding Call For Interest process in the last quarter of 2023, the results of which - presented at its 2nd Hydrogen Day - ratified the proposed hydrogen backbone infrastructure by 2030 for Spain.

Enagás proposes to create two renewable hydrogen transmission backbones in Spain. The first, with a length of around 1,500 km, includes the Cantabrian Coast Axis, the Ebro Valley Axis and the Levante Axis; the second, with a length of around 1,250 km, includes the Vía de la Plata Axis, connected to the Puertollano Hydrogen Valley. In addition, the company plans to develop two underground hydrogen storage facilities to be located in new salt caverns in Cantabria and the Basque Country. 

These storage facilities and the Spanish hydrogen hubs, as well as H2med with its Celorico da Beira-Zamora and Barcelona-Marseille sections, were included in the final European list of PCIs in April 2024. All these projects are of great importance to position Spain as the leading green hydrogen hub in Europe and to link the supply of countries with production potential, such as Spain, with the demand of central European countries.

As one of the leading transmission system operators in Europe, Enagás could be a key player in the decarbonisation process, bringing its experience and knowledge to the adaptation of existing infrastructures and the development of new ones, accelerating the creation of a competitive hydrogen market in Spain and Europe.

The company has been appointed, in accordance with Royal Decree-Law 8/2023 of 27 December, provisional manager of the hydrogen network in Spain and has developed a proposal of hydrogen backbone infrastructure with a 10-year horizon, which it presented to the Directorate General for Energy Transition Policy and Mines of the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge in April 2024.

In 2022 Enagás established its subsidiary, Enagás Infraestructuras de Hidrógeno. This affiliate serves the purpose of separating the company’s role as a natural gas infrastructure operator (TSO) from the potential future management of hydrogen infrastructures. In September 2024, Enagás Infraestructuras de Hidrógeno was authorised by the Council of Ministers Agreement to develop European Projects of Common Interest (PCI) for hydrogen networks.