International group H2Pro, specialising in electrolysis, and Sun Systems Group, specialising in solar energy projects, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the construction and operation of a green hydrogen plant, the first to be commissioned in the province of Tarragona.

The agreement between the two firms will involve an investment of around EUR 304 million. The hydrogen plant will require EUR 150 million, while the solar farm needed to supply it with energy will receive EUR 154 million and will have a capacity of 220 megawatts peak. The construction phase alone will create 980 jobs. The parties have not specified the expected job creation during the operational phase.

Construction in two phases
The memorandum sets out two main phases for the project, through which the partners aim to adapt to the industry’s growing demand. In the first stage, an off-grid green hydrogen production plant will be built; this means it will operate without a connection to the electricity grid and will be powered by solar energy. In this phase, the plant will reach a nominal capacity of 25 megawatts and will produce around 1,250 tonnes of hydrogen per year.

The second phase will involve an expansion, with the plant reaching 150 megawatts of capacity upon completion of construction in 2032. In the intermediate stage, and once 50 megawatts of capacity is achieved, annual production will reach 2,500 tonnes. The energy powering the facilities will come from nearby solar power plants operated by Sun Systems Group under a self-consumption arrangement.

Hydrogen backbone infrastructure
The hydrogen produced in Tarragona will be fed into Enagás’s national transmission network. It will also be supplied directly to off-takers in the chemical and petrochemical sectors. The project is also designed to align strategically with the future roll-out of Enagás’s hydrogen backbone infrastructure and with the H2Med corridor, which will facilitate its integration into the European renewable hydrogen market.

Although the aim is immediate delivery to the customer, the plant will have a storage system which, in the first phase, will not exceed five tonnes, equivalent to five days’ production. In the second phase, an expansion to 40 tonnes of storage capacity is planned to ensure operational scalability.

Over the course of its history, Sun Systems Group has received awards for its solar photovoltaic development of a 14-megawatt electrolyser in Tarragona, and H2Pro has gained international recognition for its electrolysis technology. The consulting firm Norgestion facilitated the initial discussions between the two companies and was involved in the subsequent development of the partnership.

^{Photo: H2Pro}