Repsol and Navantia explore renewable hydrogen generation

Repsol and Navantia Seanergies, Navantia’s green energy division, have jointly signed a collaboration agreement to explore business opportunities in renewable hydrogen production in Spain.

Tomás Malango, Hydrogen Director of Repsol and Javier Herrador, Director of Navantia Seaenergies, signed the agreement in the presence of Francisco Conde, Vice President of the Xunta de Galicia and Regional Minister of Economy and Industry, Raül Blanco, General Secretary for Industry and SMEs, Juan Abascal, Executive Director of Industrial Transformation and Circular Economy of Repsol and Ricardo Domínguez, President of Navantia.

On the one hand, Navantia Seaenergies has announced the start-up of an electrolyzer production line at its Turbine Factory in Ferrol. On the other hand, Repsol will promote the installation of this equipment for the production of renewable hydrogen in its ambition to lead the market in the Iberian Peninsula and thus reach its capacity targets, set at 1.9 GW in 2030.

In this way, both entities seek to position Spain as an international leader in producing renewable hydrogen, while also contributing to the country’s reindustrialization, quality employment and economic development.

Juan Abascal, executive director of Industrial Transformation and Circular Economy, stated that “at Repsol we are convinced that initiatives like this are essential to accelerate the deployment of the hydrogen economy in Spain and Europe from a leadership position. This reinforces our commitment to the transformation of the industry through the development of capabilities associated with key technologies to achieve climate neutrality.”

“Navantia Seanergies is committed to a model of collaboration and partnership with leading offshore wind and hydrogen companies, an energy vector that offers enormous possibilities for decarbonizing the economy and committing to sustainable growth. The manufacture of electrolyzers to produce hydrogen is a new business opportunity with great potential for our Turbine Factory”, said Javier Herrador, director of Navantia Seanergies.

Repsol is currently the leading producer and consumer of hydrogen on the Iberian Peninsula, and has renewable hydrogen as one of its key transformation pillarsfor achieving its goal of being a company with zero net emissions by 2050. The multi-energy company has its own renewable hydrogen strategy to deploy projects throughout the value chain, with a planned investment of 2,549 million euros by 2030.

Navantia Seanergies develops its activity around two main axes: infrastructures for offshore wind energy and the development of hydrogen as an energy vector. In the latter field, Navantia Seanergies seeks to become a benchmark company in the field of decarbonization of the maritime and naval sector, offering low-emission propulsion solutions (in the short and medium term) and zero emissions in the long term, and to establish itself in the hydrogen value chain through the manufacture of components (such as electrolyzers, a key element to ensure the sustainable development of this technology), and the industrialization of generation plants, either in a coastal or offshore environment.

In the last year, Navantia’s Turbine Factory has developed a process of modernization and digitalization of its production processes by implementing a Smart Factory model that will allow it to improve its efficiency and competitiveness. This project is an opportunity to leverage its experience and high level of qualification in the framework of large assemblies and machining, and to advance in its incorporation to the development of hydrogen, with growth expectations far above the majority of industrial sectors.

This agreement is in addition to other collaborations between Navantia and Repsol in decarbonization and green energies. Together they are already working on the evolution of the behaviour of new liquid fuels with a low carbon footprint (advanced biofuels and synthetic fuels) developed by Repsol, to be tested in the engines manufactured by Navantia at its Engine Factory in Cartagena, as well as in the framework of sustainability within the ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) commitments that the two Spanish companies are promoting.

Both companies are also linked within the framework of the SHYNE initiative, the multi-sectoral consortium, led by Repsol, which was presented on January 19 and brings together a total of 33 companies, associations, technology centers and universities to promote the decarbonization of the economy through renewable hydrogen, and where Navantia plays an important role as Promoter, driving the naval sector to promote this technology.