Petronor and Sener sign an agreement to commission the first electrolyzer plant

• With an investment of 120 million euros, it is expected to enter the first phase of operations in 2022.
• This factory, located in Bizkaia, will be the first one in all of Spain and will help to produce green hydrogen.
• It will have a positive impact on employment by creating 50-60 direct jobs in the first phase and 100 in the second.
• This is one of 34 projects in the Basque Hydrogen Corridor, which will develop electrolyzer-based technology.
• Electrolyzers are a key factor in the generation of green hydrogen.

Today, Petronor and Sener signed an agreement to commission an electrolyzer plant, to be located in Bizkaia. Construction on the plant will begin in 2021, and it is expected to enter phase-one operations in 2022.

With an investment of 120 million euros, it will have a positive impact on employment by creating 50-60 direct jobs in the first phase and 100 in the second. On top of this is the impact on indirect employment, thanks to partnerships with local suppliers. Due to its industrial nature, this plant will provide lasting, high-quality jobs, as this is a long-term project.

This electrolyzer factory is one of 34 projects in the recently-presented Basque Hydrogen Corridor (BH2C), which seeks to help change the energy and economic model to promote the decarbonization of strategic sectors such as energy, mobility, industry and services.

The agreement was presented today by Emiliano López Atxurra, president of Petronor, and Jorge Sendagorta Cudós, CEO of Sener.

It is worth noting that electrolyzers are a key component in generating hydrogen, which is why their development and production in the Basque Country is a priority objective.

The Basque Hydrogen Corridor plans to build three hydrogen production facilities that will require electrolyzers. The first of them, a Petronor plant, will go into operation in late 2022. The purpose of this 2-MW plant will be to supply renewable hydrogen to the facilities of the Abanto Technology Park. The second, by Petronor, EVE and Enagas, will involve installing a 10-MW electrolyzer, which will go into operation in 2024 in the Port of Bilbao, the output of which will go to the synthetic fuel plant. And the third, scheduled for 2025, will have an electrolyzer of up to 100 MW to help in Petronor’s decarbonization process and supply the needs of the Basque Hydrogen Corridor itself.

Emiliano López Atxurra, president of Petronor, said that «today, Petronor is taking a firm step in its commitment to clean energy and decarbonization with the announcement of the commissioning of an electrolyzer factory in Bizkaia, and what better ally than Sener, a first-rate partner that’s been with Petronor from the start.»

Jorge Sendagorta Cudós, CEO of Sener, stated that «for the Sener Group, the signing of this agreement means putting our industrial and renewable energy experience to work for society. The European roadmap for hydrogen sets clear priorities and requires new technology to be developed, something that is in our DNA.» Jorge Sendagorta added, «we are delighted to join Petronor on this new journey; we have always had strong ties and we share a great mutual respect.»