EDP has started the environmental processing of the project with which it plans to transform Aboño’s power plant into the Asturian green hydrogen valley. Concretely, the energy company has presented the documentation for developing a capacity of 150 MW of electrolyzers in the thermal plant, which implies an investment of 201 million euros.

The General Secretary of Industry and SME, Francisco Blanco, has visited the plant and was interested in EDP’s project, which he considers essential to advance in industrial decarbonization. He was accompanied by the Director of Generation of EDP Spain, Pablo Argüelles; the Director of Projects of EDP Spain, Marcos Antuña; the Director of Regulation of the Hydrogen Unit of EDP, José Manuel Pérez; the Director of the Project Acceleration Department of EDP Spain, Paulo Villamil; and the Director of the Aboño power plant, Pablo Fernández.

The processing reflects the authenticity and maturity of EDP’s initiative for Aboño, which is declared as strategic by the European Commission, as it is considered an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI). Similarly, it has been proposed for the grant of aid by the IDAE (Institute for the Diversification and Energy Saving).

The presented documentation for this environmental processing includes two main stages. The first one adds up to a total power of 150 MW and its putting into service is expected to be during the first months of 2026. The second stage of the project, if market conditions are favorable, will add another 350 MW of electrolyzer power and will be put into service at the end of 2030.

Green hydrogen, produced by electrolysis from water molecules and electricity of renewable origin, is presented as key energy vector for the decarbonization of sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as industry and transport, and as a clean raw material for the manufacture of fertilizers, for example.

EDP maintains its strong ambition of abandoning production with coal in 2025, and has a realistic project for the transformation of its thermal power plants in ‘green hubs’ linked to four energy axes: green hydrogen, energy storage, renewable energies and flexibility of the electric system.