• The H2SAREA project, which is the only one of its kind in Spain, is driving the safe injection of green hydrogen into natural gas distribution infrastructures using increasing percentages of hydrogen and natural gas mixes.
• The launch ceremony was presided by the Nortegas CEO, Iñaki Alzaga, and its Managing Director, Javier Contreras, along with the Chair of the Management Board of the Basque Hydrogen Corridor, José Ignacio Zudaire. Lehendakari Íñigo Urkullu, the Basque Premier; Arantxa Tapia, the Basque Government’s Minister for Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment; Unai Rementeria, the Bizkaia Provincial Council Chairman; the Mayor of Zamudio, Igotz López Torre, the Mayor of Derio, Esther Apraiz, and members of Basque industry.
• Nortegas is a trailblazer in the sphere of green hydrogen distribution and is embracing one of the most important technological challenges of the current energy scene.

Nortegas, the second natural gas distributor in Spain, has today officially launched the H2AREA project. The aim is to analyse the limits of the infrastructures and equipment that currently use natural gas, both in residential and industrial facilities, once it is mixed with hydrogen in different increasing percentages. Furthermore, the project will develop new technological solutions to be adapted to the energy needs of the future hydrogen economy. Thus, Nortegas is a trailblazer in the sphere of green hydrogen distribution and is addressing one of the most important technological challenges of the current energy scene.

The launch ceremony was presided by the Nortegas CEO, Iñaki Alzaga, and its Managing Director, Javier Contreras, along with the Chair of the Management Board of the Basque Hydrogen Corridor, José Ignacio Zudaire. Lehendakari Íñigo Urkullu, the Basque Premier; Arantxa Tapia, the Basque Government’s Minister for Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment; Unai Rementeria, the Bizkaia Provincial Council Chairman; the Mayor of Zamudio, Igotz López Torre, the Mayor of Derio, Esther Apraiz, and leading members of Basque industry.

The unveiling of H2SAREA is the consolidation of an essential and innovative project. It is the step prior to enabling the future use and transformation of the current natural gas network, as part of the most efficient solution in the development of the hydrogen economy.

The results of this project will be used to propose the following steps and specific proposals, based on real experiences, to the different regulatory authorities for the transformation to begin.

Iñaki Alzaga, Nortegas CEO, pointed out that: “H2SAREA is part of the energy transformation that we are facing. Nortegas is thus researching and developing new technological solutions that are going to allow us to adapt our infrastructures to the energy needs of the immediate future, in other words, green hydrogen. Nortegas is firmly committed in that regard. As an integrated infrastructure operating group, it is our responsibility to transform for the benefit of society, by driving change for the whole national territory. The challenge is ambitious, but we must face it working together and collaboratively. That will lead to development and co-investment in projects that can mark a before and an after in the progress towards a clean and sustainable energy model, while also generating employment and wellbeing for society”.

José Ignacio Zudaire, Chair of the Basque Hydrogen Corridor, explained: “We are immersed in an energy transition process and the latest events, Ukraine’s invasion by Russia, far from slowing the transition down have actually sped it up. As Europeans, our primary goal continues to be decarbonisation, as the basic vehicle to fight against climate change, but with our sights set on another of the pillars, security of supply, which could be said to have been rather overlooked in recent times. At this juncture, the commitment to renewable hydrogen is compelling. The Basque Country started out with a differential strategy based on the setting up of the Basque Hydrogen Corridor, an ecosystem based on the hydrogen economy to drive its development. A strategy to turn a challenge, decarbonisation, into an opportunity for the industrial technological development of our territory. Projects such as the one being launched today are a clear example of this strategy. A collaborative project, led by a company, Nortegas in this case, is undertaken to develop technologies in order to meet the needs of transporting hydrogen”.

Lehendakari Íñigo Urkullu said: “H2SAREA is a project that is addressing one of today’s most important challenges: to develop solution for renewable energies to produce a large amount of hydrogen to be used in different applications. The setting up of a hydrogen ecosystem, based in the Basque Country, allows progress to be made in the decarbonisation of the energy, industry, services and mobility sectors. It is in response to a pressing need and opens up the way to new industrial and technological opportunities. It will involve an investment of over €1.3 billion up until 2026 and the forecast is to generate over 1,340 direct and 6.700 indirect jobs. We are thus pleased to welcome this innovative project.” The Lehendakari also stressed: “This is a forward-looking and strategic commitment, with an overarching vision to improve distribution, increase efficiency and advance towards a decarbonised economy, through our participation in the H2SAREA project, based to the use of gases from renewable sources such as biogas and green hydrogen. We are committed to projects such as the Hydrogen Corridor to reverse climate change. Cooperation is one of the keys of this forward-looking project. Thus, the Basque Country has recently signed up to the Ebro Hydrogen Corridor, along with Navarra, Aragon and Catalonia. Similarly, our strategic location on the Atlantic Arc, and the connection with France, could open up the way to seek synergies with Nouvelle Aquitaine and Occitania. The achievements will be spectacular if all the Territories and Communities join forces in the same direction”.

This project, which is part of the Basque Government’s HAZITEK programme, led by Nortegas, is run by a consortium, whose members include leading companies of the Basque industrial fabric, such as ABC Compresores, C.A.E., S.L., FIDEGAS, H2Site, Erreka Fastening Solutions and Orkli. It also has the backing of two of the main technology centres of the Basque Science, Technology and Innovation Network – Tecnalia and Ikerlan – and of the National Hydrogen Centre, a benchmark in this field in Spain.

Strategic and integrating project

H2SAREA seeks to analyse the performance of both residential and industrial infrastructures and equipment that current use natural gas, once it is mixed in different increasing percentages with hydrogen. It also aims to develop new technological solution for the progressive transformation of the distribution network, so that it adapts to the energy needs of the future hydrogen economy.

Injecting this renewable gas in the existing natural gas distribution networks would not only allow infrastructures to be used that already total around 8,500 kilometres, in the case of Nortegas, and over 90,000 nationally, but would also help to consolidate the role of hydrogen as a residential and industrial lever to decarbonise the economy, while covering the demand of sectors that currently use fossil fuels as efficiently as possible.

Nortegas is therefore driving the research and development of hydrogen injection systems, advanced compression systems, development of specific smart fixations for hydrogen, research into new materials and components suitable to be used in 100% hydrogen environments and in variable natural gas-hydrogen mixes, hydrogen separation modular systems, sensors and burners, among other things.

Firmly committed to hydrogen

Along with the H2SAREA project, the Nortegas Group considers green hydrogen as one of the strategic and transformation core areas of its business model. As part of the Basque Hydrogen Corridor and leader of the vertical integration of infrastructures, it is working on the first hydrogen pipeline nationally and which will come into service at the end of this year. The pipeline will supply the Abanto Technology Park with green hydrogen, generated at the Petronor refinery using a 2.5-MW electrolyser.

Further, Nortegas is involved in other green hydrogen projects, such as the Benorth2 project, along with White Summit Capital, Castleton Commodities International (CCI), SENER and Bizkaia Energía. The project is to bring into service the first green hydrogen production plant nationwide that will use the infrastructure of the Amorebieta-Boroa combined cycle power plant in Bizkaia.

Another example would be the green hydrogen projects in the Asturian coalfields, where Nortegas is working with Duro Felguera and Hunosa. These projects will focus on the production, storage, transport and injections in the natural gas network, along with use of this renewable gas in mobility.

The company is thus continuing to drive cutting-edge projects in its different spheres of influence that focus on technology solutions in the value chain of hydrogen as a key energy source for the decarbonisation of the energy sector in general and of the gas infrastructures in particular.