On-site power gen-set manufacturer Cummins has accelerated its move toward global hydrogen leadership by announcing plans to build a green-power electroyzer plant in Spain.
Cummins and its partner Iberdrola will work together to build a large electolyzer in Castilla-La Mancha. Electrolyzers split water to create hydrogen.
“Spain offers a strong and dynamic local environment for hydrogen production, and we are excited to invest here and significantly increase our manufacturing capacity in Europe,” said Tom Linebarger, Chairman and CEO of Cummins. “Our partnership with Iberdrola will connect us with a major clean energy company and strategically positions us to be a European leader in green hydrogen production.
“We believe that this is just the start of our expansion into new markets, bringing new clean technology to customers, and supporting efforts to bring the European Union’s Green Deal to fruition,” Linebarger added. “As communities move toward zero emissions, this is the latest example of Cummins’ global effort to achieve carbon neutrality and accelerate the hydrogen economy.”
A site selection search within the Guadalajara area of Castilla-La Mancha is currently underway for Cummins’ new €50-million PEM electrolyzer plant that will house system assembly and testing for approximately 500 MW/year and will be scalable to more than 1 GW/year. The facility, which will initially be 22,000 square meters, is anticipated to open in 2023, creating 350 new jobs as production ramps up.
Ignacio Galà¡n, Chairman and CEO of Iberdrola, said, “This initiative will accelerate the production of green hydrogen in Spain and will create a new industry, the manufacturing of electrolyzer systems, with high growth potential. We continue to make progress in our ambitious plan to put Spain and Europe at the global forefront of this technology by reducing energy dependence and fossil fuel consumption while driving the country’s economic and social revitalization.” He added, “We congratulate ourselves on the choice to locate the project in a region that we value and in which we maintain a historic presence and commitment. This joint initiative will contribute to the economic, industrial and quality employment development in the region and will reinforce its great innovative commitment to a decisive technology for the decarbonization of the industry.”
Cummins already has deployed more than 600 electrolyzers in 100 countries globally. Hydrogen does not have a carbon atom, but is truly green hydrogen when it’s produced by zero-carbon electroyzer technology.
Cummins will also be electrolyzer supplier for 230-MW green hydrogen project in Palos de la Frontera, Spain. Iberdrola is developing that project for fertilizer producer.
Iberdrola has submitted 53 hydrogen-related projects to the Next Generation EU program, which would activate investments of €2.5 billion to achieve an annual production of 60,000 tn/year. The green hydrogen production capacity under this plan would be equivalent to 20% of the national target (4GW installed capacity by 2030) and would ensure that around 25% of the hydrogen currently consumed by Spain would not generate any CO2 emissions. This and related Iberdrola hydrogen projects are anticipated to fuel economic and job growth, contributing to the creation of approximately 4,000 skilled jobs across 500 local suppliers.
In Castilla-La Mancha, Iberdrola operates 2,376 MW of renewable energy -wind power and photovoltaic-, which makes it the third autonomous community with the highest ‘green’ megawatts installed by Iberdrola in Spain. Recently, the company has completed three photovoltaic projects in the region, totaling 150 MW, and builds Puertollano photovoltaic plant (100 MW).
