In Puertollano, Iberdrola is building Europe’s largest plant for the production of hydrogen from water electrolysis, and the transport and supply of five of the 11 renewable hydrogen storage tanks has begun.
To ensure industry’s supply stability and maximize the efficiency of renewable energy production, green hydrogen storage is a necessity. These tanks, made in Asturias, can hold 2,700 kilograms of green H2 at a pressure of 60 bar. At 23 meters high and 2 meters in diameter, the tanks each hold 133 cubic metres.
It takes two cranes to assemble each tank, a 600-ton main crane and a smaller auxiliary crane, which weighs 77 tonnes each. Due to the small particle size of hydrogen, the tanks are made of a special steel that is 47mm thick. The tanks arrive in Puertollano, their final destination, on December 13th.
A reverse manoeuvre will be used for tanks entering the site in order to meet the requirements of the Fertiberia plant and Iberdrola’s green hydrogen plant, both of which are located nearby.
Renewable green hydrogen has a great deal of potential for use in industrial processes and heavy-vehicle transportation. Decarbonization of the economy and the development of new industrial chains with high added value have both been linked to it as a critical solution in Spain and the European Union.
Iberdrola has developed a plan to build more than 800 MW of electrolysers in Puertollano (Ciudad Real) and Palos de la Frontera (Huelva) until 2027 to produce green hydrogen and green ammonia and fertilizers.
Investment of 1.8 billion euros in the project could make Spain an industrial leader in the green hydrogen sector and the first country to produce ammonia for fertilisers that is completely green, according to the initiative.
A 2.5 billion euro investment in 53 green hydrogen projects submitted by Iberdrola to the Next Generation EU program would produce 60,000 TN of hydrogen per year. About a quarter of Spain’s current hydrogen consumption does not result in CO2 emissions thanks to the green hydrogen production capacity, which would be equal to 20% of the national target (installed capacity of 4GW by 2030). It is expected that this and other Iberdrola hydrogen projects will contribute to an increase in economic growth and employment, creating approximately 4,000 skilled jobs at 500 local suppliers.
