The first European funding influxes have already been awarded to Asturias’ projects to start the generation of green hydrogen, the upcoming energy source.
EDP will receive 35 million euros for its plans to convert Aboo and Soto de Ribera’s coal-fired power plants into centers for the production of renewable gas, and the consortium made up of Hunosa, Duro Felguera, Nortegas, and Alsa will receive an additional 4 million euros to produce green hydrogen using mine water in Langreo’s Fondón well.
Pedro Sánchez, the president of the government, announced that there were already provisional resolutions for aid in the second line of the Strategic Project for the Recovery and Economic Transformation (PERTE) of Renewable Energies, Renewa, when he attended yesterday’s presentation of Cepsa’s “megaplan” in San Roque (Cádiz) to build one of the largest projects in Europe in the production of green hydrogen there – with an investment of more than 5,000 million euros. Specifically, 29 projects were chosen from the pioneers and hydrogen value chain categories. These initiatives will share 250 million euros and get a combined investment of about 900 million euros.
There are four of these 29 initiatives in Asturias, however, technically there are three since two of them relate to two phases of the same project: the “Asturias H2 Valley” project, which is an EDP-promoted hydrogen production facility at the Aboo thermal power station. A 5 megawatt (MW) electrolyzer powered by renewable energy will be launched by the energy firm with assistance from 14.2 million, and a further 15 million will be provided to expand the project with a second 20 MW electrolyzer.
Additionally, EDP will receive $5,7 million in support for the “GH2 Soto” project, which will turn the Soto de Ribera thermal power plant into a hub for renewable energy generation and storage. A 5 MW electrolyzer will receive the assistance. The fact that these “practical and revolutionary projects of the Asturian economy” will receive the first public funding was hailed by EDP as really positive news. EDP has more opportunities to gain fresh public support for these energy transition projects that aim to be emission-free.
Hunosa, Duro Felguera, Nortegas, and Alsa’s consortium will receive 4.2 million for the “H2UDF Phase I Pozo Fondón” project, which aims to produce hydrogen using mine water and a 2.5 MW electrolyzer. The company’s future project is much improved by this, according to Hunosa President Gregorio Rabanal.
The tentative awarding of these aids was also referred to as “amazing news” by the Ministry of Industry, and it “confirms the potential of Asturias to lead the development of green hydrogen in Spain, as the Executive had declared from the beginning.”
EDP Spain, based in Oviedo, has also gotten funding for initiatives in Andalusia and Galicia, as well as support from the proprietors of Asturiana de Laminados for initiatives involving the manufacturing of environmentally friendly aluminum in Castilla y León.
