One of the most advanced commercial plants in Spain, Hysencia was also a winner at the first European renewable hydrogen auction earlier this year.
DH2 Energy’s Hysencia plant, a 35 MW electrolysis and 49 MWp solar pv project, is one of the most advanced of its kind in Spain. Hysencia is a spearhead project in a country that has one of the largest pipelines of renewable hydrogen production projects in the world. Spain has been a pioneer in renewable energy and is now aiming to become a leading country in the production of green hydrogen too.
Countries with abundant resources of renewable energy and available land, like Spain and other Mediterranean countries, are better positioned for the production of competitive green hydrogen.
In this context, the Spanish government is betting on renewable hydrogen. Last September, it increased to 12 GW its national target for installed electrolysis capacity by 2030. This more ambitious goal is set in Spain’s latest National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC, in Spanish) which overall has higher targets than those of the corresponding European regulation.
In turn, DH2 Energy is one of the leading developers in Spain, with one of the largest pipelines of projects at various stages of development, according to last year’s first national Hydrogen Project Census, conducted by the Spanish Hydrogen Association AeH2.
Based in Madrid, DH2 Energy is present in the Iberian Peninsula, France, Mexico and Uruguay and is also entering the Moroccan market. All together DH2 Energy has currently a pipeline of around 15 GW of electrolysis capacity. Like Hysencia, most of DH2 Energy’s projects consist of electrolysers that are mainly powered by a captive solar photovoltaic plant. They also have a connection to the electrical grid to support the projects.
HYSENCIA : A TRAILBLAZING PROJECT
In Spain, very few commercial initiatives have obtained full environmental approval. Hysencia achieved this critical milestone last July when it obtained the Integrated Environmental Authorization. Moreover, to date only three renewable hydrogen plants have been built in the country and two of these are small pilot projects.
After around four years of development, Hysencia will be one of the first commercial projects for renewable hydrogen production to achieve the ready-to-build phase.
Hysencia was also one of the winners in Europe’s first renewable hydrogen auction earlier this year. This is testimony to the maturity of the Hysencia project as the European Hydrogen Bank selected only seven out of the 132 projects submitted across Europe following a rigorous and extremely competitive tender process.
Currently, DH2 Energy is carrying out the EPC tender for the construction of the plant and has already received several proposals. This process will last a few months and will be finalised at the beginning of 2025.
Hysencia project is located in Plasencia del Monte close to Huesca in Spain’s Aragón region. The facilities will occupy a 100-hectare.
The plant uses its captive solar energy plant that has a capacity of 49 MWp to power 35 MW of electrolyser. It also entails a 10 MW connection to the electricity grid.
Hysencia will produce 1,700 tonnes of renewable hydrogen each year and avoid the emission of around 16,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. Well located close to different land communication axes including the Huesca-Canfranc railway line, Hysencia will provide green hydrogen to the mobility and industrial sectors.
Hysencia is the first project of DH2 Energy’s extensive development portfolio. DH2 Energy has also a very advanced project in Portugal with a similar capacity, the VVR Green plant located in Castelo Branco. DH2 Energy is also entering the green hydrogen Moroccan market and has presented proposals to the recently launched program “Offre Maroc”.
Mr. Philippe Esposito
is the President and Co-founder of DH2 Energy. He is an entrepreneur and investor in the renewable energy and sustainability sectors.