The 3rd edition of the Enagás Hydrogen Day brings together the main promoters of hydrogen in Europe, consolidating the event as a benchmark in the sector.

The third edition of the Enagás Hydrogen Day, opened by the Prime Minister of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, was held on 29 January. The event brought together politicians and leading industry representatives, who had the opportunity to discuss the deployment of hydrogen as an energy carrier in Spain. In this respect, issues under discussion included infrastructure and hydrogen corridors in Europe, the decarbonisation of industry and other sectors, hydrogen technologies, prices and mobility, amongst others. Some of the most relevant aspects covered are summarised below:

• Results of the H2Med Call for Interest. A webinar will be held on 10 February to announce the results of the Call for Interest which ran through November and December 2024, the purpose of which was to identify the needs of future users of H2Med infrastructure. In terms of participation in the process, the call can be considered a success, with 528 projects presented by 168 companies and the support of the entire hydrogen value chain.
• Spanish Hydrogen Backbone Network. Four new sections have been submitted as a result of the Call for Interest held in the fourth quarter of 2023. Consequently, the network will connect all the autonomous regions of mainland Spain, ensuring greater cohesion across the country.

The new sections incorporated into the backbone network are:

1. Guitiriz (Galicia) and Zamora.
2. Huelva and Algeciras.
3. The Northern Meseta transversal pipeline.
4. The Southern Meseta transversal pipeline.

These four projects have been submitted to the second call for Projects of Common Interest (PCI) of the European Union. Furthermore, the CEO of Enagás has announced that, in 2025 and 2026, Enagás will roll out the largest Public Participation Plan (PCPP) of its kind ever undertaken in Spain, in collaboration with the Spanish Government, the autonomous regions and local authorities, to build and develop infrastructure stretching over some 2,600 km and involving more than 1,000 stakeholders.

This corridor represents a unique opportunity to meet the demand for hydrogen in Germany, 50-70% of which, according to what has been said in the course of events today, will be met through imports.

• Auction-as-a-Service. The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has once again announced Spain's participation in the ‘Auction-as-a-Service’ scheme, within the framework of the second auction of the European Hydrogen Bank. In this respect, a major development is the confirmation that the budget allocated to this auction will be 400 million euros, though the final figure will be confirmed within the next few weeks once the first call of hydrogen valleys has been launched.
• Clean Industrial Deal. It has been announced that the definitive date for the publication of the new Clean Industrial Deal will be 26 February 2025. The aim of this plan is to support and create the right conditions for industries to be competitive and generate quality jobs, which will involve simplifying, investing in and ensuring access to cheap, sustainable and safe energy supplies and raw materials.

Source: Enagás