Solvay and Enagás join forces to set up a hydrogen storage facility in Spain.
Solvay and Enagás have signed an agreement to set up a hydrogen storage facility in Polanco, Cantabria. The project will leverage Solvay's experience in developing salt caverns, originally created for sodium carbonate production operations and now set to be converted into hydrogen storage facilities under the coordination of Enagás, who, in turn, will contribute their expertise in energy transport and hydrogen infrastructure to integrate this storage capacity into Spain's energy system.
This initiative strengthens Spain's position as a producer and exporter of renewable hydrogen. Underground caverns are a safe, flexible and scalable solution for storing green hydrogen, which will contribute to the stability of the system and help mitigate the intermittency of renewable electricity.
Arturo Gonzalo, CEO of Enagás, emphasized that ‘this agreement is a key milestone in the development of the hydrogen backbone network in Spain,’ adding that ‘by combining our expertise in energy infrastructure with Solvay's industrial capabilities, we are laying the foundations for a robust and flexible hydrogen network that will help deliver both national and European decarbonisation targets, thereby boosting competitiveness.’
Meanwhile, transport system operators Enagás, NaTran and Teréga have announced the signing of a Shareholders' Agreement for the creation of a joint venture to take forward the BarMar Project of Common Interest (PCI), the subsea hydrogen pipeline that will connect Barcelona with Marseille. BarMar is a key route in the H2med project, together with CelZa, which will link Celorico da Beira, Portugal, with Zamora.
