The councilor made these statements during the inauguration of the first edition of Why H2, a double conference on hydrogen and sustainable energy industries that will bring together companies, technology centers, institutions and experts at the Alicante Fair for three days.
Nuria Montes recalled that "the Ministry has formed a working group with the main companies in the sector to promote the generation of green hydrogen."
All of this within “an industrial hub in renewable energies focused on the generation and storage of green hydrogen, combined with the implementation of photovoltaic installations or technologies such as biogas. It is necessary to diversify energy supply sources,” Montes stressed.
In this sense, the councilor has reviewed the recent agreement between the Generalitat and BP (HyVal), which contemplates an investment by the energy multinational of 2,000 million euros and the creation of 5,000 jobs until 2026, a project that could serve to supply the ceramic cluster, heavy transport and aviation.
In addition to HyVal, Montes has highlighted that there are eleven other projects related to green hydrogen currently scheduled in the Valencian Community. Among them, he mentioned VAHIA 2030, the Green Hydrogen Valley of Alicante promoted and promoted by the Federation of Metal Entrepreneurs of the Province of Alicante and the University of Alicante, among others.
Mediterranean Corridor and H2Med
Both HyVal in Castellón and VAHIA 2030 in Alicante are part of the Levante-Mediterranean Corridor green hydrogen axis that is the focus of the Why H2 congress program.
This axis is part of the H2med project, a transnational initiative to interconnect the hydrogen networks of the Iberian Peninsula with northwest Europe. The energy corridor was launched by Spain, France and Portugal in 2022 and a year later it added the support of Germany.
In Spain, the H2Med project has a Backbone Network of 703 kilometers of pipelines with a transport capacity of two million tons of hydrogen. Its commissioning is scheduled for 2030.
The Mediterranean Corridor between Cartagena and Castellón will be one of those that will supply green hydrogen to the H2Med Backbone Network. To this end, the Generalitat and Enagás signed an agreement in March 2023 that contemplates the construction of 450 kilometers of hydroducts in the Valencian Community with an investment of 575 million euros.
The project will contribute to bringing clean energy to the large industrial centers of the Valencian Community, mainly the ceramic, chemical and petrochemical sector of Castellón, the Sagunto industrial hub, the Valencia airport and the three ports of the Valencian Community.