The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has resolved the definitive granting of 200 million euros in aid to promote innovative and value-chain generating initiatives in renewable hydrogen within the framework of the Strategic Project for the Recovery and Economic Recovery of Renewable Energies, Renewable Hydrogen and Storage (PERTE ERHA). The beneficiaries are 19 projects – six from Andalusia – presented to the H2 Pioneers call, available here, for comprehensive local hydrogen consumption initiatives in sectors of difficult decarbonization, and 18 other projects presented to calls 1 and 2 of the H2 Value Chain program, available here, to improve capacity in testing and manufacturing facilities, and the design of hydrogen powered vehicles, respectively.
These are the first three lines of support for specific renewable hydrogen projects that are concretized with the publication of the final award resolutions, after being approved by the Board of Directors of the Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving (IDAE), a body dependent on MITECO and manager of these grant programs.
PIONEERING PROJECTS
With an allocation of 150 million euros, the H2 Pioneers call will inject aid to projects with commercial viability of production and local consumption of renewable hydrogen in industry, heavy transport and other sectors of difficult decarbonization. The 19 awarded dossiers range from the generation of green hydrogen in the chemical industry, to the creation of a hydrogen hub for uses in heavy mobility, or to the development of renewable hydrogen production plants as a substitute for natural gas in the production of secondary aluminum, among others. All of them share the same characteristic, required in the call: to have a final recipient of the hydrogen that is produced.
The projects are located in nine autonomous communities: Andalusia (6), Catalonia (3), Galicia (3), Asturias (2), Extremadura, Navarre, Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha and Aragon. Five of the projects are located in areas of Just Transition (35% of the total grants) and others in areas of Demographic Challenge (20%).
MOBILITY WITH GREEN HYDROGEN
Regarding H2 Value Chain (CoV) lines 1 and 2, the six initiatives selected within Incentive Line 1 will receive grants totalling €11.9 million and include the creation of facilities for manufacturing electro-liners and hydro-generators, storage systems or the development of test platforms for hydrogen technologies.
In line 2 of the CoV the sum of grants awarded amounts to 37.52 million euros, distributed among 12 hydrogen powered mobility projects; from the design and development of a BiModo train, to new zero emission engines for boats or the creation of a propulsion system powered by liquid renewable hydrogen for air mobility, among others.
RATING CRITERIA
The evaluation criteria of the proposals presented have taken into account –together with technical maturity, degree of innovation and economic solvency– the participation of SMEs, the positive impact in areas of Just Transition and Demographic Challenge, the reduction of emissions and job creation.
In addition, all selected projects must respect the principle of not causing significant harm to the environment. The aid, granted on a competitive basis, will be implemented as a subsidy, to be received by the beneficiary definitively and once the execution of the project is verified and the eligible costs incurred are accredited.
H2 RENEWABLE: A COUNTRY PROJECT
To the 200 million now allocated, the final resolution of lines 3 and 4 of the same CdV program will be added in the coming weeks, whose allocation amounts to 140 million. One of the most noteworthy aspects of the CoV calls is that the size of the projects will allow to take advantage of economies of scale and synergies that optimize in their scope the processes of decarbonization with renewable hydrogen. The minimum investment required is EUR 1 million per project for programmes 1, 2 and 3 and EUR half a million per project for programme 4.
These calls are part of Component 9 ‘Renewable Hydrogen Roadmap and its Sectoral Integration’ of the Transformation and Resilience Recovery Plan, and, in particular, in its Investment 1: ‘Renewable hydrogen: a country project’, which aims to position Spain as a technological reference in the production and use of renewable hydrogen.
INSIDE THE PERTE ERHA
They are part of PERTE ERHA, a complete program of instruments and measures to develop technology, knowledge, industrial capabilities and new business models that strengthen the position of our country’s leadership in the field of clean energy in general and in hydrogen as a key vector to complete decarbonization in particular. It will mobilize an investment of more than 16.3 billion, between contributions from the PRTR and private funds.
By deploying this support mechanism, progress is being made towards achieving the objectives of the Hydrogen Roadmap, a strategic document to promote renewable hydrogen. Among other objectives, it aims to achieve an electrolysis power of 300 MW to 600 MW in 2024 and 4 GW in 2030, 10% of the Community objective, which demonstrates the ambition of our country to be a fundamental actor within the European context.