Building on history
Puertollano’s strategic location and its surroundings offers a clear comparative advantage for large-scale green hydrogen production while accelerating regional development. The Puertollano region in Spain has a rich energy history, primarily revolving around its coal and petroleum industries. The region has a long history of coal mining and production. The coal mines in Puertollano played a vital role in powering local industries and providing employment to the local population. In addition to coal, the Puertollano region is also known for its petroleum refining industry. However, recent developments have shown that there is an expressed interest on the side of companies to work with renewable energy. This transition is driven by environmental concerns, efforts to reduce carbon emissions, and the global shift towards sustainable energy.
One of these recent developments is the Iberdrola’s green hydrogen production plant with a capacity of 20MW , the largest one of Europe. Puertollano also has already companies active in the field of hydrogen production and projects like the Erasmo Power2X project and of course the presence of the National Hydrogen Centre.
Puertollano Hydrogen Valley
Impact Hydrogen would like to take this one step further and accelerate the hydrogen economy in and around Puertollano by organising aHydrogen Valley. This is an area where hydrogen is produced and where a hydrogen ecosystem is in place. Enablers like education, policy and regulation, civil society participation, and partner networks must be established to make sure that the regions’ full potential is unleashed. Organizing this hydrogen chain in Puertollano will not only make the region less dependent on fossil fuels, it will also help to boost a sustainable economy. It will create new companies, jobs, and contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of people living and working in the area.
Photo: Mining headframe of the abandoned Asdrubal coal mine in Puertollano, province of Ciudad Real in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain.
