Comunidad valenciana

An introduction to green hydrogen in the Region of Valencia: from production to industrial demand

The industrial ecosystem of the Region of Valencia is one of the most energy-intensive in Spain. According to the most recent data available on the Statistical Portal of the Generalitat Valenciana  its energy consumption in 2023 accounted for 14.2% of the national total. This is due to the presence in the region of sectors such as chemicals, petrochemicals, ceramics and steel. These sectors are all energy-intensive and share a common target: decarbonising their production chains.

In this context green hydrogen is emerging as a strategic vector to meet the region’s energy demand. In its own Renewable Hydrogen Strategy for the Region of Valencia (EH2CV), the region has set a target of achieving 350 MW of electrolysis power and producing 30,000 tons of renewable hydrogen per year by 2030.

In addition, the geographical location of the Region of Valencia, with its ports in Castellón, Valencia and Alicante, could enable it to act as an export hub for hydrogen and other renewable gases to Central European markets in the event of future deployment. The Port of Valencia, for example, has already taken concrete steps in this direction, inaugurating its first hydrogen plant in 2022, and has more than 13 active projects linked to hydrogen for intra-port mobility and decarbonisation of operations. Meanwhile, the Port of Castellón is being considered as a storage and shipping point for projects such as Ignis, which is detailed below.

The future hydrogen backbone in the Region of Valencia

Enagás is developing the first axes of Spain’s future Hydrogen Backbone Network in Spain, which includes nearly 2,600 kilometres of pipelines for the transmission of this energy vector. This infrastructure is designed to connect production and consumption centres and is strategically important for industries that are difficult to electrify and need to guarantee an energy supply for their operations.

In particular, 393 of these kilometres will be deployed in the Region of Valencia within the so-called Levante Axis, the corridor that will connect the province of Tarragona in Catalonia, the entire Valencian Mediterranean coastline, and the Region of Murcia. In total, the infrastructure will cover 100 municipalities in the three provinces: 23 in Castellón, 54 in Valencia and 23 in Alicante. In turn, the Levante Axis will comprise four sections:

  1. Tivissa–Salzadella: 31 km in Valencian territory, on the border with Tarragona (Castellón).
  2. Salzadella–Paterna: 127 km, the central section running through Castellón to the province of Valencia.
  3. Paterna–Montesa: 73 km, entirely within the province of Valencia.
  4. Montesa–Cartagena: 162 km, southern section connecting Valencia with the Region of Murcia.

The Levante Axis of the Backbone Network serves as a bridge between production in the interior of the Spanish mainland (Aragon and Castilla-La Mancha) and exports to Europe. The Region of Valencia connects the Ebro Valley Axis, which comes from the north, with the Levante Axis, which continues south towards the Mediterranean. Both axes converge in the H2med corridor, whose undersea section –BarMar, a pipeline which will connect Barcelona with the industrial hub of Marseille– deploys from the Catalan coast.

Which municipalities in the Region of Valencia will the Hydrogen Backbone Network pass through?

In Castellón, the route will pass through Almassora, Almenara, les Alqueries, Benlloc, Borriol, Borriana, Cabanes, Canet lo Roig, Castellón de la Plana, Xilxes, la Jana, la Llosa, la Pobla Tornesa, la Salzadella, la Torre d’en Doménec, les Coves de Vinromà, Moncofa, Nules, Sant Mateu, San Rafael del Río, Traiguera, Vilanova d’Alcolea and Vila-real.

In Valencia, the 54 municipalities include Paterna, Sagunto, Torrent, Manises, Alzira, Aldaia, Bétera, Ontinyent, Xàtiva, Quart de Poblet, Riba-roja de Túria, Puçol and the city of Valencia itself.

In Alicante, the route will run through Alcoi, Alicante, Elche, Crevillent, Orihuela, Ibi, Castalla, Banyeres de Mariola, Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Biar, Callosa de Segura and eleven other municipalities.

As in the rest of the country, most of the network runs parallel to the existing natural gas network, thereby minimising environmental impact and facilitating land management.

The Enagás PCPP in the Region of Valencia

The Conceptual Public Participation Plan (PCPP) of the Spanish Hydrogen Backbone Network in the Region of Valencia was launched in March 2026. The PCPP is an instrument used by Enagás to inform, consult with and gather input from the public and all stakeholders before moving forward with the final design of the infrastructure.

In the Region of Valencia, this active listening process translates into 29 days of participatory events.

Green Hydrogen Projects in the Region of Valencia

The Region of Valencia is developing renewable hydrogen projects that cover the entire value chain: production by electrolysis, transmission and deployment of hydrogen plants, among other initiatives that combine investment, reduction of CO₂ emissions and direct applications in industry. Some of the most notable projects are:

Castellón Green Hydrogen

The joint venture, formed equally by BP and Iberdrola, is constructing a green hydrogen plant. It is one of the most advanced construction projects in the Region of Valencia.

The project’s figures are:

  • Electrolyser power: 25 MW (first phase).
  • Planned production: 2,800 tonnes of green hydrogen per year.
  • Renewable electricity: supplied by Iberdrola through a PPA (power purchase agreement) from photovoltaic and wind farms.
  • Avoided CO2: according to project estimates, approximately 23,000 tonnes of CO2 will be avoided per year, equivalent to the emissions of around 5,000 vehicles.
  • Total investment: over 70 million euros (including 15 million euros from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan).
  • Direct construction jobs: up to 500, with the participation of some 25 Spanish companies.
  • Plot: ~20,000 m² next to the BP refinery complex in Castellón.

The two companies have indicated that they are exploring opportunities to increase electrolysis power in subsequent phases, with the potential for a total long-term investment of up to 2 billion euros in the refinery. In a second phase, the hydrogen produced could be supplied to the ceramics sector, the chemical industry, and heavy transport in the Region of Valencia.

Green Ammonia Project (Ignis)

The project, called Armonia Green Comunidad Valenciana, envisages the construction of a large-scale hydrogen and green ammonia production plant in the vicinity of the Port of Castellón.

The complex will consist of two parts:

  • Production unit: located on a 16-hectare plot of land next to the Port of Castellón, near Serrallo and the Logistics area. Here, green hydrogen will be generated by electrolysis and transformed into ammonia.
  • Storage and dispatch: 5 hectares within the port area for storing green ammonia and subsequently exporting it to international markets by sea.

The project is divided into three phases, with full completion expected around 2031. At maximum capacity, the production of green ammonia will reach 861,000 tonnes per year, primarily intended as a sustainable fuel for ships and for decarbonising industrial processes in Europe.

Some key figures:

  • Total investment: over 1.4 billion euros across the three phases.
  • Maximum production: up to 861,000 tonnes/year of green ammonia.
  • Employment: 100 direct operational jobs and around 1,200 indirect jobs.
  • CO2 avoided: over 2 million tonnes per year.
  • Energy: 100% from Ignis’ own renewable energy farms.

ECOhynet: deployment of hydrogen plants to boost sustainable mobility

The ECOhynet project plans to build six hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) in the Region of Valencia. These stations will be adapted to European AFIR standards and have a capacity of up to one tonne per day at 700 bar pressure. They will mainly serve heavy transport.

In Valencia, the construction of a station in the Valenciaport logistics area is being considered. This station would supply both the port and external operators. An agreement has already been signed in Sagunto with Sociedad Anónima de Gestión de Sagunto to install another station to supply hydrogen to the future waste collection fleet.

The aim is to develop infrastructure where there is already potential demand and to facilitate the uptake of hydrogen in mobility.

The technological dimension: electrolysers, ceramics and the UPV

The Valencian green hydrogen ecosystem also has a technological layer that complements the industrial sector. The Renewable Hydrogen Strategy for the Region of Valencia (EH2CV) includes a specific equipment manufacturing axis. In this context, two initiatives are particularly relevant:

  • Kerionics, a spin-off from the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV), is working on the development and production of more efficient electrolysers, with a target of producing equipment with up to 616 MW between 2026 and 2030. If this is achieved, Valencia will become a key player in the European hydrogen industry.
  • Greene W2H2 (Elche), a project supported by the Department of Innovation of the Region of Valencia Government, is working on producing green hydrogen from biomass waste fractions, such as pruning waste and forest and agricultural biomass. This green hydrogen can be used in the ceramics sector.

The application of green hydrogen in the ceramics sector is one of the most active areas of research in the community. Técnicas Reunidas and the Asociación Nacional de Fabricantes de Fritas, Esmaltes y Colores Cerámicos (ANFFECC) are developing hydrogen-compatible kilns and burners in Castellón ceramic plants with the help of strategic funding from the regional govenrment. The aim: to transfer the technology to the entire sector once it has been validated.