European energy players partner on green hydrogen

Following two years of research and confidential preparation, 30 European energy companies launched a hydrogen initiative named HyDeal Ambition.

The goal of the partnership is to deliver 100 per cent green hydrogen across Europe before 2030.

The project participant, Spain’s energy major Enagás said, the production of green hydrogen generated by solar-driven electrolysis from the Iberian Peninsula will begin in 2022.

The ambition is to achieve 95 GW of solar and 67 GW of electrolysis capacity by 2030 to deliver 3.6 million tonnes of green hydrogen per year to users in the energy, industry and mobility sectors via the gas transmission and storage network, the energy equivalent of 1.5 months of oil consumption in France.

A phased approach is anticipated with first deliveries in Spain and the Southwest of France followed by an extension towards the East of France and then Germany, Enagás said.

A series of projects and partnerships are currently being launched involving several of the 30 participants of HyDeal Ambition, with a first initiative expected within a year in Spain, based on a portfolio of solar sites with a capacity of close to 10 GW.

“HyDeal Ambition constitutes a complete industrial ecosystem spanning the whole green hydrogen value chain (upstream, midstream, downstream, finance), and results from 2 years of research, analysis, modelling, feasibility studies and contract design. HyDeal Ambition makes it possible to produce and deliver competitive green hydrogen in Europe” says Thierry Lepercq, spokesperson for HyDeal.

The initiative participants include solar developers DH2/Dhamma Energy (Spain), Falck Renewables (Italy), and Qair (France).

It also includes electrolysis OEMs, engineering and EPC provider McPhy Energy (France), VINCI Construction (France) as well as as transmission network operators Enagás (Spain), OGE (Germany), SNAM (Italy), GRTgaz (France), Teréga (France).

Joining the initiative are also energy and industrial groups, Gazel Energie, a unit of EPH (France), Naturgy (Spain), HDF Energie (France), infrastructure fund, Cube, Marguerite, Meridiam as well as consultants and advisor, European Investment Bank, Corporate Value Associates (CVA), Clifford Chance, Cranmore Partners, Finergreen, Envision Digital and Energy Web.