Repsol has given the green light to its first large renewable hydrogen plant in Cartagena, which will be located in the Escombreras Valley and will be integrated into its industrial complex. The initiative fits into the company's strategy for progressively replace conventional hydrogen with renewable hydrogen in their centers.
The facility will have the capacity to produce up to 15.000 tons of hydrogen per year These will be used as raw materials in industrial processes, aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of essential products. The project's timeline calls for its entry into operation in 2029, following an investment of more than €300 million and the creation of approximately 900 direct, indirect, and induced jobs.
Project keys: power, deadlines and investment
The heart of the plant will be a 100 MW electrolyser, which will be integrated into the Cartagena complex's units to optimize consumption and adapt production to industry demand. This piece will allow progress towards a self-production of green hydrogen for personal use.
With this power, the facility will be able to generate around 15.000 tons per year, mainly intended for refining processes already the manufacture of fuels and materials with a lower carbon footprint, strengthening the competitiveness of the center.
The development contemplates an investment of more than 300 million euros, with different phases of construction, supply, assembly and commissioning. Throughout the project cycle, estimates are about 900 jobs between direct, indirect and induced.
The company expects the plant to be operational in 2029, once the administrative procedures, detailed engineering, and construction are completed, in line with its industrial decarbonization roadmap.
European recognition and funding
The project has been declared strategic and of common European interest (IPCEI) by the European Commission and the Government of Spain, which will therefore have 155 millones de euros support channeled through the Representative (Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving).
Repsol leads the development together with Enagas Renovable, who participates with a 25% of the project. Public-private collaboration and the sum of industrial capacities seek to accelerate the execution and maximize the impact on the value chain of the renewable gases.
This support aligns with community priorities to promote renewable hydrogen as decarbonization lever from intensive industry and to strengthen the energy autonomy in Europe.
Environmental impact and intended uses
According to the company's estimates, the electrolyzer will allow avoid up to 167.000 tons of CO2 activities, an effect comparable to temporarily removing from circulation about two-thirds of the fleet of electric cars that was in Spain in 2024.
Green hydrogen will be consumed mainly in the Cartagena complex itself, and the project contemplates the possibility that, in the future, can be injected into the natural gas network and in the Spanish Hydrogen Trunk Network, currently in planning.
The initiative is coordinated with other actions of the center, where the first 100% renewable fuel plant on the Iberian Peninsula, consolidating Cartagena's role as a leading multi-energy hub.
Cartagena and the Hydrogen Valley: employment and industrial leadership
The new plant will act as engine for the Hydrogen Valley of the Region of Murcia, boosting auxiliary services, logistics, and specialized training, in addition to the approximately 900 jobs linked to the different phases of the project.
Repsol is today the largest producer and consumer of hydrogen on the peninsula, concentrating around the 60% of national production and contribute approximately 4% of hydrogen consumed in EuropeIn its industrial complexes it can generate around 360.000 annual tons of this gas.
At the local level, the company has allocated in Cartagena around 620 million euros in recent years, strengthening employment, innovation and its corporate objective of zero net emissions in 2050.
The management of the industrial center emphasizes the commitment to innovation and by the Region of Murcia, highlighting that this plant, along with the 100% renewable fuel plant, raises the technological bar and the investment attraction capacity of the Cartagena hub.
With a 100 MW electrolyser, European IPCEI financing, the participation of Enagás Renovable and a planned production of 15.000 t/year, the action in Cartagena is emerging as a decisive step for decarbonize industrial processes, reduce emissions y position the region at the forefront of renewable hydrogen.
