Córdoba prepares to host, at least, three projects of green hydrogen in the next years. The territorial delegate for Economy and Energy, Agustín López, affirmed this Tuesday that, of the fifteen initiatives that are being launched in Andalusia around this fuel (as recently pointed out by the Minister of Industrial Policy, Jorge Paradela), two of them will be located in the province. “There are two very incipient private initiative projects. They entail not only a very demanding administrative procedure, but also very demanding environmental requirements. You have to be prudent, “he said to explain the reasons why he did not offer more information.
Together with him, the director of Hydraulics and Environment of Magtel, Arthur Bonaventure, explained that in this company “we are working on shaping an industrial project for the massive production of hydrogen” that will be developed in Córdoba. Currently, Magtel is in charge of the concept and design of the plant. This initiative could be implemented in five years and “probably” would be one of the first in the province along with the two mentioned by the Economy delegate. Arturo Buenaventura predicted that the Magtel project “may be the largest scale, I don’t know the other two, but it may be so,” he anticipated. In fact, he advanced that they intend “to be the spearhead to start conversations together with Industry” and claim before the Government of Spain y enagas that the hydrogen transport infrastructures pass through the province.
Both officials made these statements in the Drafting table From Cordoba Sustainability Challenges: Green Hydrogen, of Iberian Press. The event, held at the Eurostars Palace hotel, was attended by the first deputy mayor in the Córdoba City Council and president of Sadeco, Isabel Albás, and by Nuria Garcia-Mancha, researcher at the National Hydrogen Center.
In this act, the director of Hydraulics of Magtel reminded that green hydrogen is a fuel, an energy vector and an energy storage system. “In Córdoba we have water and sun, the elements to produce green hydrogen. The difficulty is the final destination. Infrastructures are going to be developed to transport hydrogen, which can connect different parts of Spain, even with Europe. Córdoba should not lose this opportunity to that a branch or a conduit pass through here, so that we can export hydrogen,” he said.
Sadeco, pioneer
For her part, Isabel Albás indicated that at Sadeco “we continue working on the specifications” to put out to tender the construction and management of the expansion of its environmental complex. Among the first actions is the construction of a hydrogen and gas production plant, budgeted at 34.2 million.
At the beginning of the year, the company was confident that its board of directors could approve the tender documents during the first quarter, but Albás alluded yesterday to the proximity of the municipal elections and predicted that “in a few months or a year, at the most, it could be approved.” He also foresaw that this plant for the production of hydrogen from waste could be completed “in two or three years, four at the most.”
The president stressed that Sadeco 5.0which is what the macroproject is called (which also includes a solar park, a new landfill area and two waste treatment plants) “is a commitment to sustainability and the circular economy, to use waste to generate energy “, and will allow you to “avoid the use of landfills” and supply fuel to the fleet of municipal vehicles.
Regarding this project, Agustín López affirmed that “is a pioneer” and that “it is raising impressive interest at the national level.” On her part, Nuria García-Mancha appreciated that it can be an “example” for the private sector, “so that it sees that, even if it is a high cost, you can get a lot in return.”
The participants at the table agreed to point out that, for the moment, they do not know if there is any entity from Cordoba that is using green hydrogen as an energy source. “We have our hopes placed on Sadeco and Aucorsa. They will be two pioneers, I’m sure,” predicted Arturo Buenaventura.
Renewables in the Guadiato Valley
The director of Hydraulics and Environment of Magtel, Arturo Buenaventura, advanced yesterday that “we are studying various energy projects in the Valle del Guadiato area”, detailing that they are already processing three initiatives for the production of renewable energy.
When asked about his proposal for Puente Nuevo, he affirmed that “as a Cordoba company, we have a moral commitment to the just transition zone”, alluding to the closure of the thermal power plant. Arturo Buenaventura trusted that these initiatives “will help to recover part of employment, with quality employment.” In addition, he specified that “in principle, they do not need recovery funds.”
Along these lines, the territorial delegate for Economy and Energy, Agustín López, explained that the Junta de Andalucía is preparing the order that will regulate the application of the Just Transition fund, with financing from the European Union directed at three Andalusian provinces that have suffered the closure of thermal power plants, which are Córdoba, Cádiz and Almería. In the case of Córdoba, it will have 32 million euros for the industry. Agustín López highlighted that “the Valle del Guadiato, the Valle de Los Pedroches and the north of the province have very different problems from the rest, we are not only talking about what the closure of the thermal power plants has meant for employment, but also the energy problem The Board has been demanding for years that Red Eléctrica build a 400 kilovolt line not only to set up companies, but also to attract new ones and deploy renewables,” he said.