PLOCAN to construct offshore hydrogen plant

The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) is positioning the Canary Islands at the forefront of energy innovation and sustainability with the construction of Spain’s first offshore renewable hydrogen generation plant. This initiative is part of the H2VERDE project, co-financed by the government of the Canary Islands and the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan (PRTR), with Next Generation EU funds. The project aims to promote decarbonisation and energy autonomy for the Archipelago, transforming mobility and the ‘blue economy’, and driving sustainability across the islands.

Green hydrogen is a clean fuel produced from renewable energy sources such as sun, wind, or the sea. Its use enables energy storage and transport without generating polluting emissions, facilitating the reduction of dependence on fossil fuels – which currently stands at 95% in the Archipelago – and supporting the fight against climate change.

“In island territories like the Canary Islands, green hydrogen is a strategic solution to harness renewable resources and ensure a stable and sustainable energy supply,” explained Adriana García, Project Manager of PLOCAN’s renewable energy research line.

PLOCAN’s renewable hydrogen plant will be installed on its offshore oceanic platform, located 1.5 km off the coast of Gran Canaria. The system includes an electrolyser that, using renewable energy (solar, wind, and marine renewable energy prototypes), separates water into hydrogen and oxygen; a fuel cell that allows stored hydrogen to be converted back into electricity when needed; and batteries for energy storage.

Additionally, the facility will feature a hydrogen dispenser (also known as a hydrolinera or hydrogen refuelling station), the first of its kind in a marine environment in Spain, to recharge forklifts and, in the future, ships and other marine vehicles, such as autonomous surface vehicles (gliders), among others.

This type of hydrogen could power industrial vehicles and port machinery, replacing fossil fuels in key sectors such as port operations, tourism, and logistics, paving the way for zero emission operations in these areas.

The plant hosted by PLOCAN, with a capacity to produce up to 15 000 kg/y of renewable hydrogen, will serve as a real-world laboratory to test hydrogen use in marine environments, fostering innovation, research, and the training of qualified personnel.

The project will enable the complete decarbonisation of PLOCAN’s offshore platform, sustainably meeting all its energy demand and saving more than 200 tpy of CO₂ emissions, a clear example that decarbonising isolated energy systems, such as those on islands, is possible.

The project will enable the complete decarbonisation of PLOCAN’s offshore platform, sustainably meeting all its energy demand and saving more than 200 tpy of CO₂ emissions, a clear example that decarbonising isolated energy systems, such as those on islands, is possible.

“With this project, PLOCAN reaffirms its commitment to sustainability, innovation, and the economic development of the Canary Islands. Green hydrogen stands out as an opportunity to create new sectors, attract talent, and position the Islands as an international benchmark in clean energy and the Blue Economy,” stated Alejandro Romero, coordinator of the H2VERDE project.

The project will enable the complete decarbonisation of PLOCAN’s offshore platform, sustainably meeting all its energy demand and saving more than 200 tpy of CO₂ emissions, a clear example that decarbonising isolated energy systems, such as those on islands, is possible.

“With this project, PLOCAN reaffirms its commitment to sustainability, innovation, and the economic development of the Canary Islands. Green hydrogen stands out as an opportunity to create new sectors, attract talent, and position the Canary Islands as an international benchmark in clean energy and the ‘blue economy’,” stated Alejandro Romero, coordinator of the H2VERDE project. “The use of renewable hydrogen could reduce global CO₂ emissions by 20%. The EU aims for this energy vector to represent 20% of its energy mix by 2050, with a particular focus on heavy transport. Annual fossil energy imports in the Canary Islands amount to €18 billion, and €90 billion in all of Spain; we must advance our energy sovereignty, and green hydrogen will help us move toward that goal.”

Beyond energy autonomy in an isolated and fragmented territory and decarbonisation, renewable hydrogen in the islands would promote innovation and employment, encouraging research, technology transfer, and the creation of qualified jobs in new industrial sectors. Furthermore, PLOCAN’s plant will serve as a model for isolated networks, demonstrating solutions that can be applied to other island territories.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/02052025/plocan-to-construct-offshore-hydrogen-plant/