German industrial gas supplier Messer has joined the consortium led by Repsol to build what will be the largest electrolyser in Spain. Together with its two other partners, Enagás Renovable and Iqoxe, Messer will set up an infrastructure that will supply renewable hydrogen to the Tarragona petrochemical hub, providing 150 megawatts of capacity in its first phase.

The four members of the consortium will design and build the electrolyser, which is expected to be commissioned in 2025. So far, the conceptual engineering phase has been completed and the project is in its detailed engineering phase. In total, the investment will be around 230 million euros, with an additional investment of 80 million euros being considered for electrical storage facilities.

Green hydrogen
The role of green hydrogen in industrial decarbonisation has recently led to major projects being given a boost. In this case, the choice of the Tarragona petrochemical hub shows how keen its promoters are to improve the area’s industrial fabric. If projections are met, the project will have a second phase, starting construction in 2027, to increase renewable hydrogen production capacity to one gigawatt.

The project is in turn part of the Shyne consortium, driven by Repsol to promote the use of green hydrogen in industry. The fuel produced by the new infrastructure will allow local industry to reduce natural gas consumption. It will also be used in the field of mobility, and part of it will be injected into the natural gas transmission network. A dedicated pipeline will in addition be built to transport hydrogen to its consumers.

Air separation gases
The electricity needed for hydrogen production will come primarily from nearby renewable sources and will use the latest technologies to reduce water consumption. Oxygen obtained by extracting hydrogen from water will also be utilised. The petrochemical industry itself will benefit from this resource and will be supplied via the Messer-owned pipeline.

Messer is also finalising another important project at the same facility. Its new air separation plant (pictured) has already reached its final height of 72 metres. The investment, which exceeds 50 million euros, includes an electrical substation, and will enable sustainable production of 2,500 tonnes of oxygen, nitrogen and argon per day, extracted directly from the air.

^{Photo: Messer}