SPAIN WILL OPEN THE COUNTRY’S FIRST PLANT TO PRODUCE GREEN HYDROGEN FROM RECYCLED WATER IN 2024

Two renewable technologies will be used as an energy source: photovoltaic solar generation and biogas cogeneration from the plant itself reservoir pressure maintenance in the Bab and Bu Hasa fields in Abu Dhabi.

Canal Isabel II, the water management company for Madrid, Spain’s capital, will open the country’s first green hydrogen plant produced from reclaimed water in 2024, according to a statement released by the company. The construction and operation of Canal Isabel II’s first hydrogen plant will be worth €7.3 million (US$ 7.88 million). The works are expected to be carried out over the next 13 months and the new facility is expected to be operational by the middle of next year.

The hydrogen plant will be built in Pinto, at the Arroyo Culebro Cuenca Media Alta plant, and its initial capacity will be around 80,000 kg of hydrogen per year. This is a cutting-edge project because Canal de Isabel II will produce the hydrogen in this plant from reclaimed water. It will do so by means of electrolysis, using as an energy source the hybridisation of two renewable technologies: photovoltaic solar generation and biogas cogeneration from the use of waste from the treatment plant itself.

The project will replace the current aquifer water injection systems used for maintaining reservoir pressure in ADNOC’s onshore oil fields, thereby ensuring sustainable water supply for ADNOC’s onshore operations while preserving the UAE’s natural aquifer resources. The project will also enhance energy efficiency by up to 30% and reduce ADNOC’s environmental footprint compared to the current injection system.

Thanks to the tertiary treatment applied in this installation, Canal Isabel II will be able to supply regenerated water to cover the entire water demand required by the electrolyser (12 l of water to produce 1 kg of hydrogen). Thus, this hydrogen plant will be unique because it will obtain all the energy necessary for its operation from renewable sources, produced at the facility itself. It will also be the first plant in Spain to use recycled water as a source of hydrogen generation, instead of drinking water.