According to reports, BP Spain is on the brink of a significant investment in green hydrogen production at its Castellón refinery, contingent upon the enactment of the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) into Spanish law and the allocation of already awarded European funds.
Andrés Guevara, the president of BP Spain, highlighted the company’s commitment to the Hydrogen Cluster of the Valencian Community (HyVal), a pioneering project with a comprehensive budget of €2,000 million slated for completion by 2030.
Speaking at the eMobility World Congress in Valencia, Guevara emphasized the project’s dependence on regulatory developments, stating, “We do not have the numbers for this year because it also depends on whether we have the necessary regulatory conditions to make what is called the final investment decision.” He further noted the critical importance of RED II’s transposition, expressing optimism for its imminent publication following its draft release and public consultation last year. “It has the regulatory framework that is needed for the production of bios that use hydrogen,” Guevara explained.
HyVal, spearheaded by BP, aims to catalyze the Valencian Community’s energy transition through robust public-private collaboration. The initiative targets the commencement of biofuel production by 2026 and green hydrogen production by 2028.
The announcement comes in the wake of BP’s preventative work halt at the Castellón refinery due to a gas odor, underscoring the facility’s recent return to full operation. Following an 8-week technical stop that saw an investment of €113 million and the involvement of nearly 4,000 workers, the refinery is now laying the groundwork for this future green hydrogen hub.
Guevara also spotlighted the H2FRIT pilot project in partnership with the Association of Manufacturers of Ceramic Frits, Enamels, and Colors (ANFFECC). This three-year initiative explores the potential of substituting natural gas with hydrogen in ceramic frit fusion processes, aiming to significantly reduce CO2 emissions and decarbonize the sector. “This pilot project is a fundamental process because if we can demonstrate that hydrogen serves as fuel to produce this glaze, we can decarbonize the ceramic industry in a very, very powerful and very synergistic way with what we are developing in the Castellón refinery,” Guevara remarked.
The production of green hydrogen at the Castellón refinery is anticipated to not only support industries currently reliant on grey hydrogen but also to facilitate the transition of thermo-intensive industries, such as ceramics, towards renewable hydrogen consumption, heralding a new era of industrial sustainability in the region.
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