Iberdrola launches green hydrogen unit with UK and Spanish projects

Spanish energy giant Iberdrola has created a new green hydrogen business unit, and announced €150 million of investments in the division’s first projects.

Through its UK subsidiary ScottishPower, Iberdrola aims to build a network of green hydrogen production plants to supply fleets and heavy transport.

The first site will be built on the outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland and will use solar and wind energy to operate a 10MW electrolysis unit.?? It has not confirmed the capacity of the wind and solar plants to be used to power the electrolyser.

Iberdrola also aims to commission what it claims could be “one of the largest green hydrogen plants for industrial use in Europe” in 2021 in Ciudad Real, central Spain.

It will use a 100MW solar PV array paired with a 20MWh lithium-ion battery to power a 20MW electrolyser.

The green hydrogen will be used in the Fertiberia ammonia factory in Puertollano.

The announcements came as Iberdrola chairman Ignacio Galán was speaking during the New York Climate Week.

Galán took part at a digital meeting with the vice-president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, in which they analysed new EU emissions reduction targets and the role of technologies like hydrogen.

Iberdrola has not confirmed how much it plans to invest in the new green hydrogen unit, or any capacity targets.

Earlier this year, the Spanish firm pledged to invest €10 billion as part of its coronavirus recovery plans in 2020, and has since made acquisitions in France, Australia, Sweden, Japan and Brazil. 

However, talks fell through for it to enter Polish offshore wind earlier this month.