Northern Spain prepares to host thefirst major state hub for the capture, transport and storage of industrial CO2This project aims to become a key component in the decarbonization of sectors that are difficult to electrify. The initiative, named "Hub COnet2 North," seeks to establish a strategic carbon dioxide corridor aligned with European climate policies.
This new CO2 management hub is born from a alliance between public administrations and energy and industrial companies, with the aim of deploying a complete value chain: from capture at the emitting plants to its transfer and subsequent geological storage or valorization as raw material in new applications.
A pioneering hub in Spain for industrial CO2
The "Hub COnet2 North"It has been designed as the first reference node in Spain dedicated exclusively to the capture, transport and storage of CO2 coming from industry. Its scope of action initially focuses on Basque Country, Navarre and CantabriaHowever, it was created with the intention of expanding to other communities in the north of the country as more broadcasting facilities are incorporated.
The project is driven by Enagás and the Basque Government, through the Basque Energy Agency (EVE), together with the companies Petronor, Heidelberg Materials, Calcinor and Terresis Navarra Magnesite CenterFurthermore, the gas company nortegas participates as a collaborator in the development of the infrastructure.
The promoting entities have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together on the deployment of the hub. The agreement was signed in the Energy Intelligence Center (EIC) of Vizcaya, a space that is consolidating itself as a nerve center for strategic energy and climate transition projects in the region.
Among those present at the signing ceremony were the Mikel Jauregi, Minister of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability of the Basque Government; The Director General of Energy and Digital Transition, Business R&D&I and Entrepreneurship of the Government of Navarra, Garbiñe Basterra; and the Juan Villar, CEO of Nortegas, on behalf of the collaborating party.
The following individuals attended on behalf of the promoting entities: general director of EVE, Mikel Amundarain; the Enagás CEO, Arturo Gonzalo; the Petronor CEO, José Ignacio Zudaire; the president of Calcinor, Jon Santa Cruz; the President of Heidelberg Materials, Jesús Ortiz; and the General Manager of Terresis Navarras Magnesite Center, Jorge Baños, reflecting the institutional and industrial weight of the project.
CO2 value chain: from the chimney to storage
COnet2 Norte's proposal involves creating a integrated CO2 value chainwhere all involved parties coordinate their investments and schedules. The idea is to take advantage of economies of scale and logistical synergies so that carbon dioxide capture and management is technically and economically viable for multiple industries at the same time.
The approach encompasses everything from the CO2 capture in industrial facilities participants up to their transport using specific infrastructure and their subsequent storage or valorization. To this end, the deployment of dedicated CO2 ducts and the progressive transformation of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in multi-molecule plants, capable of handling different types of products by making the most of their existing infrastructure.
In this first phase, the hub is being sized to be able to manage around 2 million tons of CO2 per yearThis volume will be based on the more advanced capture and liquefaction technologies, along with the use of residual cold available at LNG terminals to improve process efficiency.
The logistics infrastructure will include specific products for CO2 transport, temporary storage and liquefaction terminal and necessary maritime resources to transfer carbon dioxide to sites of geological storage or to facilities where it can be used as raw material in valorization projects.
Meanwhile, the industrial companies that are part of the consortium —Petronor, Heidelberg Materials, Calcinor and Terresis Navarra Magnesite Center— develop their own CO2 capture projects at the source. Petronor will also analyze the promotion of technologies for the use and valorization of CO2This reinforces the shift towards a more circular economy.
European participation and funding for decarbonization
As explained by the CEO of Enagás, Arturo GonzaloThis agreement represents a a decisive step towards deploying the CO2 value chain in a coordinated manner in the Basque Country, Navarre and Cantabria, and aligns directly with the European emissions reduction targetsThe intention is for the hub to go incorporating new companies and territories in northern Spain to strengthen the corridor in the medium term.
The project is already listed in the Provisional list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI) of the European UnionThis recognition can open the door to funding and regulatory support. This positions it as a relevant initiative for the competitive decarbonization of the industry along the entire Cantabrian coast.
Collaboration between partners will facilitate a joint strategy to access European aid, such as those from Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and the Innovation FundThe agreement will allow the presentation of stronger and more mature candidatesby integrating the hub into the funding applications of each of the participants.
From Enagás's perspective, it is a collective industrial effort to address one of the most complex challenges of the energy transition: reducing emissions from so-called "hard-to-cut" industries, those activities with large emissions from chemical or combustion processes where direct electrification is not sufficient.
These industries, Gonzalo emphasized, are key to the economy, employment and territorial cohesionTherefore, they need solutions that will allow them to decarbonize. without losing competitivenessThe creation of a shared hub aims precisely to offer this path, concentrating investments and preventing each company from having to develop all the necessary infrastructure on its own.
Infrastructure design and the role of partners
In the area of ​​infrastructure, Enagás and the Basque Government, in coordination with Nortegas, will assume leadership in the CO2 logistics network designTo do this, they will use the Enagás Northern Transport (ETN) network and Bizkaia Bay Gas (BBG) plant, both of which are jointly owned by Enagás and the EVE, and which will serve as the basis for future conversion into a multi-molecule system.
The role of these facilities will be fundamental to reuse existing energy infrastructure and adapt them to the new needs of the climate transition, a strategy that can reduce costs and time compared to building completely new assets.
Meanwhile, the industrial partners Petronor, Heidelberg Materials, Calcinor and Terresis Navarra Magnesite Center They continue to make progress in their own capture projects at the production facilities, so that the CO2 can be channeled to the hub as soon as the logistics infrastructure is operational.
The involvement of these emitting sectors—refining, construction materials, lime, magnesite, and other industrial products—allows the hub to be designed from the outset with this in mind. various types of CO2 streams and in different management solutionswhether it be permanent storage in geological formations or its transformation into renewable fuels and other products.
The joint approach ultimately seeks to ensure that technical, financial and regulatory planning be done in a coordinated manner, avoiding duplication and favoring that the investments fit within a single roadmap for the industrial decarbonization of the northern peninsula.
Integration into the Basque Country Industry Plan 2030
From the perspective of industrial policy, the Basque councilor Mikel Jauregi He emphasized that the hub fits directly into the Basque Country Industry Plan 2030The project is part of the initiative "Hard to Zero", specifically aimed at Decarbonization of industrial processes that are difficult to electrifyand is recognized as Transformative Project under the name "Decarbonization Valley".
This institutional framework reinforces the strategic nature of the hub within Basque industrial policy, by positioning it as one of the levers to maintain and attract productive activity in a context of strong international competition and increasing climate demands.
Jauregi has emphasized that it is a clear example of public-private collaboration intended to build a coherent and efficient value chain for industrial CO2 managementThe joint development of the initiative will allow optimize logistics coststo improve the economic viability of capture projects and ensure that the various actions continue a common roadmap.
In his opinion, this commitment will translate into greater competitiveness for the industry of northern Spain and in a reinforcement of the commitment to the European climate neutrality goalsIn an international environment marked by volatile energy prices and high external dependence on fossil fuelsInitiatives like this seek to gain room for maneuver and reduce risks.
Faced with this scenario, the advisor argues that There aren't too many alternatives beyond making progress in proprietary and innovative solutionssupported by new energy infrastructures capable of integrating processes of CO2 capture, transport, storage and valorization, in addition to to promote the use of carbon dioxide as a raw material in applications such as the production of renewable fuels.
The launch of the COnet2 North Hub places the Basque Country and the whole of northern Spain in a relevant position within the future European CO2 management networkBy combining industrial capacity, energy infrastructure, and institutional support, this hub could become a benchmark for the industry if the various components of the project progress as planned. decarbonization of emissions-intensive sectors and in a practical example of how to articulate an integrated CO2 value chain that allows for compatibility climate transition and economic activity.
