How the Basque Country is building its renewable hydrogen ecosystem

11 November, 2025

Euskadi’s energy revolution is taking shape. Continuing the series in our blog on the evolution of the renewable hydrogen ecosystem in the different autonomous communities around the country, having studied the cases of Andalusia, Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha, we’ve analysed the main lines of action and the projects in the field of renewable hydrogen throughout the region.

The Basque government has been laying the groundwork for this change for a number of years. The aim of its Basque Hydrogen Strategy, promoted by the EVE (Basque Energy Board) and submitted in 2021, was to turn the Basque Country into a benchmark for the production and use of renewable hydrogen in southern Europe. The proposal involved securing 300 MW of installed electrolysis capacity by 2030, with 100% of the hydrogen produced from renewable and low-carbon sources.

Renewable hydrogen gains prominence in the Basque energy mix

In 2025, this momentum has taken shape in the Deskarboniza 2025 plan, a programme endowed with 400 million euros with which the Basque Executive wishes to mobilise over 1,200 million euros of private investment. Its goals are to accelerate the decarbonisation of industry, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and place the Basque Country at the forefront of renewable energy, with an energy mix that combines electrification with clean technologies such as green hydrogen.

The intention is to assign 60 million euros to energy self-consumption, with the aim of tripling the current installed capacity to 450 MW within four years, and 100 million euros to industrial decarbonisation projects. 100 million euros in zero-interest loans will be added for energy efficiency and renewable energies, as well as specific lines of credit for sustainable mobility, energy audits and the circular economy.

Deskarboniza 2025 is a programme with which the Basque Country wishes to mobilise over 1,200 million euros of private investment

A corridor to place Euskadi at the forefront of renewable hydrogen

Another component of the Basque Country’s commitment to renewable hydrogen is the BH2C, the Basque Hydrogen Corridor, a public-private partnership which is seeking to turn the region into one of the major European hubs for the production and use of renewable hydrogen.

The project came into being in 2021 with the aim of building a comprehensive hydrogen ecosystem capable of decarbonising the main economic sectors (energy, industry, transport and residential uses) and, at the same time, generating a new technological and industrial fabric based on this clean energy source.

The origin of the corridor lies in Petronor and Repsol, the firms that are leading the initiative, together with a large group of 72 organisations, including institutions, technology centres and private companies. Behind it is a planned investment totalling over 900 million euros until 2030 which is geared towards deploying infrastructures, production plants and application projects across the region. The roadmap envisages the generation of over 1,300 direct jobs and about 6,700 indirect jobs.

The ultimate goal is to produce 21,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen each year, preventing the emission of around 200,000 tonnes of CO₂ in the process.

The Basque Hydrogen Corridor is a public-private partnership which is seeking to turn Euskadi into one of the major European hubs for the production and use of renewable hydrogen

A collaborative network linking over 70 organisations

One of the keys to the BH2C is its governance model based on cooperation. Major players in the energy and industrial ecosystem are involved: Repsol, Nortegas, Enagás, Enagás Renovable, Sener, Basquenergy Cluster, Auto-Juntas, Garbiker, the Mubil Foundation and so on. They’ve been joined by 14 technology and knowledge centres, including Tecnalia, Ikerlan and CIC Energigune, together with business associations and local and regional public administrations.

Which renewable hydrogen projects are being promoted in the Basque Country?

We list the main renewable hydrogen projects that are underway in the Basque Country below.

• In the Port of Bilbao, the consortium comprising Petronor, Enagás Renovable and the EVE (Basque Energy Board) have set up the Basque Hydrogen company, one of the most important developments in northern Spain. A 10 MW electrolyser is being developed at the Petronor refinery in Bilbao for the production of up to 1,600 tonnes of renewable hydrogen, chiefly for use in the production of synthetic fuels.
• Petronor also intends to start up a 100 MW electrolyser in mid-2028, with an investment totalling 260 million euros co-financed by European funds. The hydrogen which is generated will be used in the Petronor refinery’s industrial processes and to supply third parties, particularly companies in the surrounding area that require sustainable energy solutions for their energy-intensive processes.
• In addition to these developments, the Hermes Project, with Heidelberg Materials, EDF Iberia (Hynamics) and Petronor as its partners, has reached the feasibility study phase. It proposes the construction of an e-methanol plant in Arrigorriaga (Bizkaia) using green hydrogen and CO₂ captured from a Heidelberg Materials cement plant. Renewable methanol will be used as fuel in the maritime sector and as feedstock for the production of other materials (plastics and sustainable aviation fuels). The project also envisages connecting Petronor’s project at its Muskiz plant with a 360 MW hydrogen production project on the premises of Heidelberg Materials, as well as a connection to the hydrogen transmission backbone.
• Around 163 kilometres of the hydrogen transmission backbone network to be deployed by Enagás throughout the country will run across the Basque Country along the Cantabrian Coast Axis. This route will be divided into two main sections – Reocín-Arrigoriaga (≈38 km) and Arrigoriaga-Haro (≈125 km) – and it will run through about 50 municipalities. The infrastructure will be key to connecting Basque hydrogen production with the major industrial hubs in the north and centre of the Iberian Peninsula.
• Another benchmark project is the COnet2 North Hub led by Scale Green Energy, BBG, ETN and the EVE, which has been submitted as a Project of Common Interest (PCI). Its purpose is to develop a comprehensive CO₂ capture, transmission and storage network.

A good model for other regions of Spain

What’s happening today in Euskadi could serve as a model for other regions. Its strategy combines a clear vision, strong public support and close cooperation with industry. Beyond the infrastructure, the region is building a future in which clean energy generates employment, knowledge and added value.