Port of Bilbao supports hydrogen project

The board of directors of the Port Authority of Bilbao has decided to award Petronor, a subsidiary of the Repsol group, a tender for a 46,700m2 plot of land in Punta Sollana, within the Port of Bilbao. Petronor will undertake a project that consists of constructing one of the world’s largest plants for the production of synthetic fuels using green hydrogen generated with renewable energy.

The first phase of the investment will amount to €67m, with the facilities planned to come into operation as from 2024. Later, Phases II and III, to be developed alongside the first phase, will involve an additional investment of €76m on the construction of a plant for the generation of gas from urban waste, such as paper, cardboard, plastic and textiles, which will avoid the use of traditional fuels and promote a circular economy. Initially, this pyrolysis plant will be able to process around 10,000 tons/year of urban waste, a figure that may rise to 100,000 tons in later phases. This gas will be used as fuel for the refinery itself.

Petronor’s proposal was selected as its project incorporates innovation, technology, sustainability, decarbonisation and energy transition initiatives, in line with the port authority’s own strategy of making the Port of Bilbao more sustainable and innovative. Consideration was also given to confirmed high investment, the technical, economic and operational viability of the project, and job creation.