ArcelorMittal and Fertiberia have not confirmed their contacts with the La Robla Hub project, which were revealed by the Ministry for Ecological Transition the day before yesterday at the presentation of the Leon project, whose investment will amount to 485 million to generate green hydrogen. In the Fertiberia media it was said that “for the moment” its only project is with HyDeal. It is known, in any case, that the agreement between ArcelorMittal and Fertiberia with HyDeal – which continues to progress, according to the consortium media – does not include exclusivity clauses for either party, so both industrial groups may contract with other hydrogen suppliers in the same way that HyDeal also aspires to attract other clients in Asturias and Castilla y León. In turn, it is taken for granted that the need for hydrogen for the Asturian heavy industry, in addition to other uses and customers, is going to be very large and will probably require different suppliers as a guarantee of supply.
The consumption figures attributed to ArcelorMittal are linked to the current plan to decarbonise half of the steel head with the replacement of the blast furnace A in Gijón and the replacement of the steelworks by a hybrid furnace. In the future, the same will have to be done with blast furnace B and in the middle there is another plan already outlined for the Avilés steelworks. Fertiberia also has more plans for the future beyond the comprehensive remodeling and expansion of its Corvera factory.
Another operator, EDP, is promoting in Aboño –near ArcelorMittal and one of Masaveu’s cement plants– another large green hydrogen project, already recognized by the Spanish Government and the European Commission as being of Community interest. And Enagás and Naturgy have another plan for Gijón, called Green Crane Asturias, for hydrogen generation in partnership with Ignis.
The forecast is that there will be demand for all if the objectives of climate neutrality required by the EU are to be achieved. And what is foreseeable is that there will be alliances with various suppliers as Alsa is actually doing, which aspires to the use of green hydrogen as fuel in its fleets. In the case of Asturias, Alsa participates in its own project with Nortegás, Hunosa and Duro Felguera, and is also holding talks with EDP, with HyDeal and now with La Robla Hub. Outside of Asturias, Alsa has partnered with Repsol and Iberdrola, among other operators.
The La Robla project will use the Vía de la Plata hydrogen pipeline, as will HyDeal. Enagás will be the driving manager while the Enagás Renovables company participates in both projects, as well as in some twenty hydrogen production initiatives with other partners in various regions.
Although they resort to other suppliers, ArcelorMittal and Fertiberia’s commitment to HyDeal is a priority for both companies. Their condition as shareholders of the consortium –along with HyDeal Ambition, Enagás, DH2 Energy and Soladvent– means that they will have a preferential interest to the extent that, in addition to being fed by clean energy, they will participate in the benefits obtained by the conglomerate from the production and hydrogen trade.
Naturgy has advanced two solar parks next to the Leon thermal with 916,000 panels
Paul Brown
The La Robla green hydrogen production plant will be powered by photovoltaic energy from solar parks located in the area. In the vicinity of the old thermal power plant in Leon, Naturgy has advanced the procedures to build two gigantic solar plants that add up to 550 megawatts of power and a joint investment of almost 283 million euros. They are the parks of La Pradera, in the Leonese municipalities of La Robla and Cuadros, and Los Corrales, also in Cuadros, where more than 916,000 solar panels will be installed. The two photovoltaic plants already have prior administrative authorization and a favorable environmental impact declaration from the Ministry for Ecological Transition, which has established some limitations in relation to the surface they occupy. Having solar parks in an advanced stage of processing can be an important advantage for the La Robla green hydrogen project compared to others that are being developed in northern Spain. Naturgy and Enagás Renovables anticipate that hydrogen production can start in 2026. For its part, HyDeal Spain intends to start manufacturing it in 2025.