In a small town in Cáceres, a profound change is taking place in how natural gas is understood in Europe. In Miajadas, an industrial plant is already capable of producing renewable natural gas without resorting to fossil fuels, combining green hydrogen with biogenic carbon dioxide and leveraging the existing gas network.
This advance, driven by the German company Turn2X through the T2X project, has achieved a milestone that until a few years ago sounded like a laboratory experiment: to manufacture synthetic methane compatible with existing gas pipelines and inject it directly into the Gas Extremadura distribution network. The European Commission has taken note and selected this initiative in the third European Hydrogen Bank auction, placing Extremadura on the European energy map.
How the first natural gas without fossil fuels was obtained in Extremadura
The technological heart of the T2X project is a solution known as Power to Gas (P2G)Designed to transform renewable electricity into gaseous fuels without the need to exploit gas deposits. At the Miajadas plant, electricity from renewable sources is used to produce green hydrogen through water electrolysis.
Next, that hydrogen combines with biogenic carbon dioxide captured from a nearby bioethanol plant. In other words, fossil CO₂ is not used, but carbon from biological processes, which allows for partially closing the carbon cycle and reducing net emissions compared to conventional gas.
In a specific reactor, the well-known Sabatier reaction comes into play, a thermochemical process that, under high temperatures and pressure, converts the mixture of hydrogen and CO₂ into high-purity synthetic methane and waterThe result is a renewable natural gas (RNG) that, for practical purposes, behaves the same as gas from underground sources, but without depending on fossil hydrocarbons.
The big difference compared to many other hydrogen projects is that this renewable gas It doesn't remain in an isolated installation or a theoretical pilot test.The synthetic methane obtained in Miajadas has already been injected fluidly into the Gas Extremadura distribution network, something that no other European plant had achieved until now under real operating conditions.
Thanks to this compatibility, the initiative avoids having to build a new gas transport and storage infrastructure from scratch. The existing gas pipelines and networks are reusedThis reduces costs, shortens deadlines, and makes it easier for industrial customers to use this gas without fundamentally altering their facilities.
A pioneering project in Europe: the role of Turn2X and the European Hydrogen Bank
The T2X project, promoted by TURN2X Asset Co II EXTREMADURA SL[Company Name] was the only Spanish company selected in the third auction of the European Hydrogen Bank. It shares the spotlight with eight other European initiatives focused on the production of renewable hydrogen and low-carbon synthetic fuels.
The Extremadura plant is not starting from scratch. Turn2X already launched a first pilot facility in Miajadas in 2024, which has served to Validate the Power to Gas technology and its integration with the gas networkAfter that first year of operation, the company has managed to supply all the planned gas and has begun to incorporate new industrial buyers, according to its own internal report.
The European Commission has considered that the leap from that pilot plant to a larger capacity facility represents a key step forward: For the first time in Europe, a project produces renewable natural gas and feeds it into the conventional grid. operationally. Brussels sees this as an important part of its strategy to decarbonize without abruptly dismantling sectors that still depend on gas.
Being selected in the European auction comes with a specific support mechanism. The project will receive a fixed premium of 0,62 euros per kilogram of certified renewable hydrogen produced during the first ten years of operation. This aid seeks to offset, at least partially, the current higher cost of hydrogen and synthetic gas compared to imported fossil gas.
The grant agreements with European institutions are expected to be signed in the last quarter of 2026From that moment, the companies will have a maximum period of five years to launch the complete commercial operation of the new facility in Miajadas.
Technical capabilities: electrolysis, hydrogen production and renewable gas
From a technical point of view, the new phase of the T2X project is designed to deploy a electrolysis capacity of 9 megawatts (MW)These electrolyzers are responsible for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity, which will be supplied under a long-term contract.
With that power, forecasts indicate that the plant will be able to generate around 6.390 tons of renewable hydrogen throughout its first ten years of operation. That hydrogen will not be sold directly as a final product, but will be used as a raw material to synthesize renewable methane, which will then be injected into the gas network.
Turn2X has closed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Axpo Iberiawhich will supply renewable electricity produced by projects managed by Aquila Clean Energy. In this way, the company seeks to guarantee that the energy used in electrolysis has a strictly renewable origin, a key requirement for certifying hydrogen and the resulting gas as low carbon footprint products.
In parallel, the project relies on Gas Extremadura's existing distribution infrastructure to deliver gas to its customers. use the same networks and pipelines without major modifications It is one of the factors that reinforces the economic and technical viability of the model, while reducing barriers to entry for industrial users.
The combination of renewable energy contracts, European aid per kilogram produced, and an already amortized transport infrastructure creates an ecosystem that attempts to A competitive renewable natural gas is still more expensive than its fossil fuel equivalent.but with clear advantages in terms of emissions and security of supply.
Industries difficult to electrify: who is this renewable natural gas aimed at?
The goal of Turn2X is not to replace all electricity with gas, but to offer an alternative for those sectors where electrifying all processes is very complexIn industries such as steelmaking, ceramics, glass or maritime transport, the energy demand is continuous, intense and, in many cases, requires sustained high temperatures.
In these sectors, relying solely on batteries or purely electric solutions can be technically unfeasible or prohibitively expensive in the short and medium term. Therefore, renewable synthetic methane is being considered as a solution. a transitional fuel with a smaller carbon footprint, capable of being integrated into existing boilers, furnaces and engines without radical transformations.
The fact that renewable gas is chemically equivalent to fossil natural gas This allows the industry to use it with the same combustion technologies, primarily by adapting supply contracts and certificates of origin. For buyers, the novelty lies more in the origin of the fuel than in how it is used.
From a European perspective, this solution fits into the strategy of reducing emissions without paralyzing key sectors. The synthetic methane produced in Miajadas It does not, on its own, solve all climate challengesBut it does open a way to reduce dependence on gas imports from the United States, Qatar or Russia, while keeping the industrial base operational.
In the medium term, Turn2X hopes that the model deployed in Extremadura can replicated in other locations on the Iberian PeninsulaThe company has indicated that the goal is to cover a significant percentage of the gas demand of countries like Germany with e-methane produced in environments with abundant renewable resources.
Extremadura as a strategic energy hub in Spain and Europe
The choice of Miajadas, and Extremadura in general, is not accidental. The region has a very high volume of hours of sunshine per yearThis makes it a particularly competitive location for installing photovoltaic plants and renewable generation parks that power hydrogen and synthetic gas projects.
This climatic advantage is further enhanced by its geographical position in the planned route of the future European hydropipelineThis infrastructure, which will cross the region from north to south, is destined to become one of the continent's major energy corridors, enabling the transport of renewable hydrogen between different countries.
Regional authorities insist that Extremadura has available land, solar resource and strategic connectionThese factors align with the needs of major energy transition projects. The Minister of Economy, Employment, and Digital Transformation, Guillermo Santamaría, emphasized that initiatives like Turn2X demonstrate the region's capacity to attract investments that generate skilled jobs and an industrial base linked to renewable energy.
The ecosystem is also being strengthened by the work of local engineering and energy services companies These companies have been operating in the region for years and are now involved in the deployment of new infrastructure. The combination of international developers, regional distributors, and companies from Extremadura is shaping an energy hub that was difficult to imagine just a decade ago.
The success of the first plant has already led Turn2X to to process a second installation in MiajadasCurrently undergoing environmental assessment. The idea is that both plants will serve as the spearhead of a broader network of projects in different parts of the peninsula, many of them also in Extremadura.
European and Spanish financial support for renewable gases
Beyond the specific case of Miajadas, the European Union is trying to accelerate the deployment of green hydrogen and renewable fuels through direct subsidies and market mechanisms. The third auction of the European Hydrogen Bank, in which the T2X project has been selected, distributes some 1.090 billion euros among nine initiatives in seven countries of the European Economic Area.
The premium scheme such as the €0,62/kg of certified hydrogen It aims to bridge part of the gap between the current costs of renewable hydrogen and its market price. Without this type of support, most projects would find it very difficult to compete with fossil gas, which remains cheaper, even though it has a much greater climate impact.
At the national level, the Spanish Government has decided to reinforce this commitment by adding 440 million additional euros This is for projects that have met all European technical requirements but have been placed on reserve due to a lack of EU funding. The aim is to avoid losing initiatives that are technically mature and could be implemented in Spain.
Meanwhile, other countries like Germany are also mobilizing their own resources to boost their hydrogen and renewable gas infrastructure. The German government has announced investments of around 1.300 billion euros to support similar projects in their territory, demonstrating that the competition to lead this new energy market is already underway.
All these financial instruments pursue a shared objective: scaling up emerging technologies such as Power to Gas, reduce their costs through size effects and provide the necessary regulatory security for companies and banks to commit to very long-term investments.
The Miajadas plant as a turning point in the energy transition
Until recently, green hydrogen appeared mainly in studies, strategies, and presentations about the future. What's happening in Miajadas illustrates a phase shift: Renewable hydrogen has gone from promise to industrial reality, inserted into a scheme of continuous production of renewable natural gas.
The experience in Extremadura shows that it can be done to manufacture gas compatible with the current network without depending on fossil gasusing renewable resources and biogenic CO₂. This is a significant step because it doesn't require redesigning all the infrastructure from scratch, but rather reinterprets and reuses part of what has already been built.
This does not mean that all the challenges have been solved. The cost of producing green hydrogen remains high, the associated electricity consumption is very high, and the guarantee of availability is uncertain. sufficient and stable biogenic CO₂ Nor is it trivial. Furthermore, we will have to see how regulations, voluntary markets for certificates of origin, and competition with other low-carbon technologies evolve.
However, what we are seeing in Extremadura sends a clear signal to investors, companies and administrations: the model works beyond the laboratory and can be integrated into the day-to-day operations of the gas systemFrom there, the challenge is to replicate it, reduce costs, and adapt it to different industrial and territorial realities.
In practice, projects like T2X indicate that the European energy transition is not limited to installing more solar panels or wind turbines, but also requires transforming how energy sources are stored, transported, and consumed. Renewable natural gas produced in Miajadas has become one of the first tangible examples of this paradigm shift.
With the bet on the first natural gas without fossil sources produced with hydrogen and CO₂ in ExtremaduraSpain shows that it can position itself at the forefront of the new European energy economy, leveraging its renewable potential and strategic position to attract projects that combine technological innovation, private investment and public support around a common goal: reducing dependence on fossil gas without jeopardizing industrial activity.
