Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) is leading a consortium of partners, including Vestas, to build a 500MW green hydrogen project in Spain.
CIP, in partnership with Enagas, Naturgy and Fertiberia, as well as Vestas, said the first phase of Project Catalina has reached “advanced stage of development”.
Catalina Phase 1 will comprise 1.7GW of wind and solar energy facilities as well as a 500MW electrolyser.
It is expected to be fully developed and permitted in less than two years.
Construction is planned to start at the end of 2023.
The “pioneering” green hydrogen and green ammonia GW-scale project aims to bring the “abundant” renewable resources of Aragon to the industrial consumption points on the Spanish eastern coast.
Ultimately, Project Catalina intends to develop 5GW of combined wind and solar in Aragon and produce green hydrogen through an electrolyser that will have an eventual capacity of 2GW.
Once fully implemented, Catalina will produce enough green hydrogen to supply 30% of Spain’s current hydrogen demand.
The initial 500MW electrolyser will be capable of producing over 40,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year and the first phase could create up to 5000 jobs.
Project Catalina will connect Aragon and Valencia via a pipeline transporting green hydrogen to supply a newly built green ammonia plant with annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes.
Green ammonia will be further upgraded into green and sustainable fertilisers within Fertiberia’s existing assets at Sagunto (Valencia).
The hydrogen produced will also be used for the decarbonisation of other industrial processes and blending into the natural gas grid.
Catalina Phase 1 is applying for grid connection in Andorra (Teruel), at the Mudejar auction.
The consortium members have signed a letter of intent committing to work together to realise the project.
The investment required for the project, as well as the specific participation of each partner, will be approved in due course.
CIP partner Soren Toftgard said: “I am very proud to announce Project Catalina, a pioneering initiative in Europe for the large-scale production of green hydrogen and green ammonia.
“Spain, and in particular Aragon, offers good conditions for the development of this technology due to its excellent solar and wind resource, the political backing as well as the proximity to demand centres.
“We look forward to continue working with our partners to bring this project to life”.