Renewable hydrogen has moved beyond being a future promise and has become a tangible reality in the European energy landscape. For years, the sector thrived on announcements and expectations, but now the most ambitious projects have begun to be implemented. Europe already has a dozen major industrial initiatives under construction , totaling nearly 3 gigawatts (GW) of electrolysis capacity and a combined investment of around €13.000 billion.
Spain, with its abundant sunshine, wind, and a robust industrial infrastructure network, has positioned itself at the forefront of this race. Two of the twelve European megaprojects currently under construction are Spanish : Moeve's Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley in Huelva, and Petronor's Green Hydrogen Hub, a Repsol initiative in Bizkaia. Both have moved from the announcement phase to construction, a milestone that marks a turning point for the sector in the country.
European giants take shape
The European ranking of projects under construction places Sweden at the top with the largest single project on the continent. Stegra, in Boden, is a 700 MW steelmaking giant that will produce low-carbon steel and is scheduled to begin operations by the end of 2026. It is followed by German initiatives of 320 MW and 300 MW, such as EWE Emden Clean Hydrogen Coastline and GET H2 Nukleus, demonstrating the momentum of the Central European country.
The Netherlands, France, Austria, and Portugal complete the map of large-scale installations, with projects ranging from 100 MW to 300 MW. The total estimated investment for these twelve projects exceeds €13.000 billion , a figure that reflects the scale of the challenge and the industry's strong commitment to this technology. Most of the initiatives are linked to sectors that are difficult to electrify directly, such as refining, the chemical industry, steelmaking, and the production of sustainable fuels.
Spain, the safe bet for renewable hydrogen
The Onuba project by Moeve, in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva), is Spain's flagship project. With 300 MW of electrolysis capacity in its first phase, expandable to 400 MW, it will produce approximately 45.000 tons of renewable hydrogen annually . The investment exceeds €1.000 billion, and commissioning is planned for 2029. The facility will prevent the emission of around 250.000 tons of CO2 per year, according to the company.
Repsol has begun construction of its 100 MW electrolyzer at the Petronor refinery in Muskiz (Bizkaia). The investment totals €292 million, of which €160 million comes from NextGenerationEU funds after the project was recognized as an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI). The facility will produce up to 15.000 tons of renewable hydrogen annually to replace the fossil-based hydrogen currently used by the refinery, preventing the emission of up to 167.000 tons of CO2 each year.
Spain's advantage lies not only in its abundance of renewable resources. Spain combines sun, wind, refineries, chemical plants, and ports capable of absorbing production without waiting for a completely new market to emerge . Petronor already consumes hydrogen today, and Repsol accounts for around 60% of Spain's conventional hydrogen production, making it easier to replace existing demand rather than creating it from scratch.
The sector faces outstanding challenges
Despite the progress, the path is not without obstacles. The International Energy Agency (IEA) notes that global production of low-emission hydrogen grew by 20% in 2025, reaching almost one million tons , but warns that growth remains concentrated in a small number of projects. Global demand for hydrogen has already exceeded 100 million tons by 2025, although virtually all of it still corresponds to traditional industrial uses.
High costs, uncertainty about demand, regulation, and a lack of transport, storage, and distribution infrastructure continue to hinder large-scale deployment. The IEA believes that several major projects will become operational before 2030 , but insists that developing transport and storage networks will be necessary for hydrogen to truly become an industrial-scale energy alternative.
In Spain, the government maintains its goal of reaching 12 GW of electrolyzer capacity by 2030, with an investment of €3.100 billion in subsidies. Currently, only 235 MW are installed, highlighting the gap between ambition and reality . While projects like Repsol's ATLAS in Arteixo, Quixotgen in Albacete , and ZaragozaH2V are moving forward, others such as the La Sevillana thermal power plant and H2 Meirama in Galicia have been canceled or abandoned.
The Onuba and Petronor projects demonstrate that, despite the hundreds of initiatives announced in recent years, the green hydrogen battle is now beginning to be fought on the construction sites and in the final investment decisions . The sector is moving beyond the planning stage and into implementation, and Spain wants to be at the heart of this transformation.
With a combination of natural resources, industrial infrastructure, and public support, the country aspires to become one of Europe's leading producers of renewable hydrogen. The coming years will be crucial in determining whether these promises translate into operational plants, industrial contracts, and sufficient renewable electricity. Green hydrogen is no longer a pipe dream, but its consolidation will depend on the sector's ability to overcome the economic, regulatory, and infrastructural challenges that still lie ahead.
