Asturias has positioned itself as a key territory on the new energy map. The autonomous community, historically characterised by its industrial and mining tradition, is taking steps to reconvert to a decarbonised model, with green hydrogen playing a leading role.
What exactly is being done in Asturias? What green hydrogen strategy is in place and what are the prospects for the coming years?
Asturias boasts several conditions that facilitate the development of renewable hydrogen. The first is the existence of an industrial fabric that can provide an immediate demand for this resource. The second is the presence of well-established energy and logistics infrastructures, including electricity grids and gas pipelines to ports with export capacity.
The geographical position of the region, integrated into the Atlantic axis and the Silver Route, also opens up the door to connections with other domestic and international markets.
In addition to these advantages, we should bear in mind the potential of renewable energies in the area. Although solar has undergone limited development compared to other regions, both onshore and offshore hydro and wind provide a solid base for powering the electrolysis processes.
In 2023, the Government of the Principality of Asturias announced funding totalling 5.3 million euros to promote the use of green hydrogen in industry in the territory
The role of the public institutions in the development of the hydrogen ecosystem in Asturias is crucial. The support of the State and the European Union has taken the form of direct funding for strategic projects, but also specific programmes to drive emerging technologies.
In 2023, the Government of the Principality of Asturias announced funding totalling 5.3 million euros to promote the use of green hydrogen in the region’s industry, as part of a programme to mobilise a total of 7.4 million euros drawn from regional investment and European funds.
Within the framework of the PERTE project for Renewable Energies, Renewable Hydrogen and Storage (ERHA), the central Government has assigned 132.4 million euros to five renewable hydrogen projects located in the Just Transition Zone in Asturias. The initiatives that are supported include the transformation of the former Aboño thermal power plant, together with additional projects such as GH2 Soto and Greenmet, designed to accelerate the decarbonisation of industry and diversify energy production in the region.
These institutional efforts to drive green hydrogen in the region are accompanied by the promotion of training programmes in partnership with the University of Oviedo and Vocational Training centres, in order to prepare a qualified workforce capable of meeting the new demands facing the energy sector.
Asturias is not only getting ready to produce renewable hydrogen, it’s also seeking to integrate it into the future transport network to allow its distribution at home and abroad. Processing of the sections of the Spanish green hydrogen backbone network that pass through the Principality is already underway, with a view to them becoming operational by 2030.
Asturias is not only getting ready to produce renewable hydrogen, it’s also seeking to integrate it into the future transport network to allow its distribution at home and abroad
Four main sections are envisaged in the area of Asturias: the León-Llanera section (approximately 71 km), the Llanera-Reocín section (≈118 km) and two branches that connect industrial and port centres: the branch to the port of El Musel (≈18 km) and the branch towards the Avilés area (≈13 km).
In particular, a key aggregation node is envisaged in Llanera, where the green hydrogen production and consumption projects will converge. Furthermore, Asturias is positioning itself as a strategic nerve centre, given that two major energy transport axes, those of the Silver Route and the Cantabrian Coast, converge in its territory.
In total, approximately 220 kilometres of hydrogen pipelines will cross 23 municipalities, connecting Asturias with the national network and the rest of Europe along the H2med corridor. These form part of a strategic project, the Spanish inland hydrogen network currently being developed by Enagás, which envisages the construction of around 2,600 kilometres of pipelines throughout Spain, grouped together in 15 sections and along 5 axes.
One of the most iconic projects is the so-called Asturias H2 Valley in Aboño promoted by EDP, a green hydrogen production plant with an expected capacity of 150 MW of electrolysis in early 2026 and 500 MW in 2030. The investment exceeds 200 million euros and it will be able to produce around 20,000 tonnes per year. This project lies within the framework of the Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI).
Another project forming part of the above is GH2 Soto in Soto de Ribera, which is also promoted by EDP. Its aim is to integrate the centralised production of green hydrogen with a capacity for 5 MW of electrolysis. It is estimated that its production capacity will total 700 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year.
Meanwhile, Mine-to-H2, driven by Hunosa, Duro Felguera, HyREN and ALSA, will transform the historic Fondón Well in Langreo into a 2.5 MW green hydrogen plant (expandable to 5 MW). Using renewable electricity sourced from rehabilitated old mines and mine water for electrolysis, this facility will supply hydrogen to road transport fleets.
In parallel, Hydrogen Hub Asturias (H2ASTURIAS) is establishing itself as a flagship scientific and industrial centre for the study and demonstration of the use of hydrogen in productive environments. Led by ArcelorMittal and co-financed by the Next Generation funds, its aim is to position Asturias as a European hydrogen laboratory. In turn, the INCAR-CSIC is furthering this commitment with several research projects focused on waste recovery, hydrogen production using seawater and the development of new carbon electrocatalysts, thus consolidating a regional ecosystem of innovation and knowledge based on this energy source.
