Four SMBs from Asturias and one from Leon have received European funds to develop works related to EDP’s green hydrogen project in the thermal power plant of Aboño. It is the result of the approval of grants-in-aid from the European Commission, through the so-called I3 funds, coordinated in Asturias by the Asturian Foundation of Energy (Fundación Asturiana de la Energía, FAEN). EDP has also received financing.

Apart from the four Asturian companies (Hidritec, Sazepi, Táctica Tic y Signal Software), there is also a company from Leon, Tresca Ingeniería, that will receive financing for the project of Aboño. The total aid for the five enterprises exceeds 1.5 million euros, that will be destined to the development of engineering and design studies and works.

EDP acts thus as a company leading the value of green hydrogen, receiving more than a million euros, while it consolidates its leadership in the European map of green hydrogen.

The SMBs collaborating with EDP are role models in their respective activity areas, and with these financial aids, they will be able to develop their competences to take the plunge and develop green hydrogen projects, in collaboration with similar companies from other European regions, where hydrogen projects are also being developed.

The aids reach the 10 million euros for a joint project of regional development of green hydrogen technologies in 10 different regions, and with the participation of almost 40 European entities.

Taking Aboño’s project as a reference, Hidritec will design a water treatment plant, that will transform raw water into demineralized, for its use in electrolizers.

Sazepi will design a solution to accommodate the electric system control of the plant.

Táctica Tic will work on a process control system, in order to optimize the functioning of electrolizers on a large scale, and achieving to reduce the costs of green hydrogen.

Signal Software will create a 3D digital twin connected to the plant, that will enable to know the state of all systems in real time.

With the obtained data, predictive models may be generated, that contribute to reduce operation costs and improve the maintenance efficacy.

For its part, Tresca Igeniería will make design works related to EDP’s green hydrogen valley.

This way, the European Commission, that already underlined the importance of the power plant’s transformation in the statement, as an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI), goes a step further in the specific granting of European funds to different companies, in a clear example of the European commitment with public-private collaboration, and the leading effect of economy in local suppliers of projects like the one from EDP.

Apart from FAEN, EDP and the five selected companies, ALSA is also in the same work group.

EDP has a realistic project to transform Aboño’s thermal power plant, that stats with the launching of a first stage of 100 MW electrolizers, that may raise to 500 MW if the market’s conditions are in favorable.

This new progress around Aboño’s project, emphasizes the consistency of the projects presented by EDP and the strong commitment of the company in leading energy transition, through realistic projects to transform its thermal power plants in sites linked to renewable energies, green hydrogen, energy storage and electric system’s flexibility.