Green Hydrogen Production Projects and their development in Spain

Abstract

This thesis aims to describe how a renewable energy project is developed. The work is based on the experiences of a writer working in a company executing renewable energy and hydrogen projects.

In the theory part, regulations supporting green hydrogen production are introduced, and the state-of-the-art of hydrogen production technologies is outlined. Introduction to the technology’s history and the different uses of hydrogen demonstrate the wide range of its applications. Decarbonizing the power sector through green hydrogen production is essential for the plans of Europe becoming the first Climate Neutral Continent. Entities created for supporting the hydrogen production technology such as the Hydrogen Council and the European Hydrogen Bank are included as supporters of the hydrogen European plans. Metallurgy and fertilizers production sectors are the ones foreseen as the main benefactors of adapting their systems into working with hydrogen produced through renewable energies. These sectors are also seen as two of the main drivers for decarbonizing the hard-to-abate sectors, accounting for more than 50% of hydrogen consumption.

The experimental part describes the process of executing hydrogen projects, including the regulatory requirements for hydrogen projects. These include grid connections permit, building permit, application for administrative approval and environmental impact assessment. The environmental impacts must be especially carefully considered, including endangered species, water access and also conservation of historic sites.

In the discussion, some examples of relevant hydrogen production and transportation projects are introduced, highlighting the importance site selection has. Projects such as HyDeal and H2Med pave the road for decarbonizing the gas sector in Europe, raising Spain as one of the most important potential exporters of hydrogen in Europe. The discussion highlights that environmental regulations will need to be rigorously followed, as they will determine the success of a project. Finally, the conclusions outline recommendations and future research needs. It is suggested that creating markets for green hydrogen are critical to support the role of hydrogen in future energy system. As well, further investments will be needed in technological research, in order to improve the reliability and efficiency of hydrogen production technologies.