PLOCAN builds Spain’s first offshore green hydrogen 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 decarbonization and energy autonomy for the Archipelago, transforming mobility and the Blue Economy, and driving sustainability across the Islands.

Produced using renewable power, green hydrogen use enables energy storage and transport without generating polluting emissions, while facilitating the reduction of fossil fuels, which currently stands at 95 percent 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.

Offshore platform

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 electrolyzer, 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 refueling 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.

With a capacity to produce up to 15 tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually, the plant hosted by PLOCAN will serve as a real-world laboratory to test hydrogen use in marine environments, fostering innovation, research, and the training of qualified personnel.

Decarbonized platform

The project will enable the complete decarbonization of PLOCAN’s offshore platform, sustainably meeting all its energy demand and saving more than 200 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per annum —a clear example that decarbonizing 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.

Romero also noted that “the use of renewable hydrogen could reduce global carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent. The European Union aims for this energy vector to represent 20 percent of its energy mix by 2050, with a particular focus on heavy transport.”

Annual fossil energy imports in the Canary Islands amount to EUR 18 billion, and EUR 90 billion for all of Spain; we must advance our energy sovereignty, and green hydrogen will help us move toward that goal, Alejandro Romero said.

In addition, 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.

Grant funding

The H2VERDE project consortium has received a EUR 6 million direct grant for reasons of public, social, and economic interest to cover investment expenses such as the design, construction, equipment, and operation of the plant.

This funding falls under Investment 1 of Component 17 (Complementary R&D&I Plans with the Autonomous Communities) of the Government of Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), financed with “Next Generation EU” funds through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).