Spain's Iberdrola on May 13 commissioned its first green hydrogen plant in Spain, a 20-MW proton exchange membrane electrolyzer, which will support green ammonia production for Fertiberia's 200,000 mt/year Puertollano facility, the company said.
Europe's Largest Green Hydrogen Plant
The plant is Europe’s largest industrial facility of its kind, according to Iberdrola.
The unit will have a production capacity of 3,000 mt of green hydrogen per year and is expected to save 78,000 mt/year of CO2 emissions. The hydrogen previously produced on-site through steam methane reforming will now be generated sustainably using electrolysis.
The electrolyzer is powered by feedstock from a 100-MW solar PV system, which generates a total of 156 GWh/year using bifacial panels and is supported by a 20 MWh lithium-ion battery system.
The PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) unit was supplied by Norwegian electrolyzer manufacturer Nel from its U.S. factory.
This project is part of a larger plan to deliver 40,000 mt/year of green hydrogen to Fertiberia by 2027, with an investment of Eur1.8 billion ($1.87 billion).
Ammonia production is one of the primary applications where green hydrogen is projected to be cost-competitive, alongside refining. The agreement between Iberdrola and Fertiberia includes the potential scaling of the Puertollano facility and development of a second, larger plant in Huelva.
S&P Global Commodity Insights estimates the cost of producing renewable hydrogen using PEM electrolysis in Europe at Eur12.13–12.07/kg (in the Netherlands, including capital expenditure), based on month-ahead power prices. In comparison, fossil fuel-based hydrogen production stands at Eur5.64/kg, with carbon and capital costs included.
