Enagás has launched the Conceptual Public Participation Plan (PCPP) for the Spanish Hydrogen Backbone Network in Aragon. A meeting was held today between the Acting Vice-President and Minister of the Presidency, Economy, and Justice of the Government of Aragon, Mar Vaquero; the Director General of Energy and Mines, Yolanda Vallés; and the Director General of Industrial Promotion and Innovation, Mar Paños, along with the Enagás CEO Arturo Gonzalo, and Enagás Energy Transition General Manager Natalia Latorre. The meeting was held at the Government of Aragon headquarters.
During the meeting, all the details of the project were presented. This infrastructure will be key for the economic and social development of Aragon, as well as for accelerating the region’s energy transition. It will establish Aragon as a pivotal node in the hydrogen value chain, strengthening its position as a leader in energy and industry.
The Vice-President of the Government of Aragon emphasised that the region has established itself as a leader in the sector “on its own merits” and that this initiative “will be much more successful if it incorporates the views of all the municipalities involved”, as they “will undoubtedly have valuable contributions to make”.
Arturo Gonzalo, CEO of Enagás, emphasised that this project is a decisive step for Aragon in consolidating its position as a major hub for the green hydrogen economy in Spain. The Hydrogen Backbone Network is a strategic infrastructure project for the country, designed to boost industrial competitiveness, attract investment, and accelerate the energy transition. It will be fundamental to the economic development of the region.
The Hydrogen Backbone Network will run through 28 municipalities in Aragon
The Spanish Hydrogen Backbone Network will comprise a route of 191 kilometres in Aragon, forming part of the ‘Ebro Valley Axis’. Two of the three sections that comprise this axis will run through the Autonomous Community: the 60 km Haro-Zaragoza section, which will connect Aragon and La Rioja; and the 131 km Zaragoza-Tivissa section, which will connect the Autonomous Community and Tarragona.
The route of the Backbone Network includes 28 municipalities of Aragon in the provinces of Zaragoza and Teruel.
In Zaragoza, the infrastructure involves the municipalities of Bárboles, Bardallur, Bisimbre, Boquiñeni, Cadrete, Caspe, Cuarte de Huerva, Escatrón, Fréscano, Fuentes de Ebro, Gallur, La Zaida, Luceni, Maella, Magallón, Mallén, María de Huerva, Mediana de Aragón, Pedrola, Pleitas, Quinto and Zaragoza.
In Teruel, it will run through Azaila, Calaceite, Castelnou, Jatiel, La Puebla de Híjar and Samper de Calanda.
Most of this backbone network will run parallel to the natural gas network, optimising its territorial and environmental integration. It will be instrumental in promoting the development of the territories within the hydrogen economy.
Yesterday, Monday 6 April, the Conceptual Public Participation Plan in Aragon began with the opening of the first information point. It will run until 14 May.
A total of eight participatory workshops are planned, with the first taking place on 21 April and the last on 29 April. The session corresponding to the city of Zaragoza will be streamed to facilitate participation by citizens and interested parties.
Aragon, Spain’s largest hydrogen production aggregation point
The Call For Interest launched by Enagás in September 2023 made it possible to identify production and consumption centres in the different Autonomous Communities. The results of this consultation were presented at the 2nd Hydrogen Day in January 2024 and identified Aragon as the largest hydrogen production aggregation point in Spain.
In addition, the company is developing the ‘HyLoop+’ project at its Metrology and Innovation Centre in Zaragoza. This project is pioneering in Europe and aims to design, construct and commission a new laboratory or calibration bench for hydrogen meters. It is expected to be operational in 2026.
Enagás Renovable, a subsidiary of Enagás, is working on the Catalina project in Aragon as part of a consortium with other companies. This global pioneering initiative will produce hydrogen and green ammonia in the region and connect it to industrial consumption centres on Spain’s east coast.
An open and transparent participatory process
Aragon is thus part of the largest public participation plan of its kind in Spain, covering 13 autonomous communities and more than 500 municipalities. The PCPP of the Spanish Hydrogen Backbone Network gathers contributions from public administrations, organisations, associations, and any other interested citizens, and will last 18 months. A final report will then be drawn up based on the results of the process.
The Plan’s goal is to provide transparent information on the infrastructure, encourage the active participation of the territories, address concerns, and ensure that the development of the network incorporates the best social and environmental solutions from an early stage.
The project for the first axes of the Spanish Hydrogen Backbone Network involves developing around 2,600 kilometres of hydrogen infrastructure. The hydrogen economy is expected to generate over 32 billion euros of GDP in Spain and contribute to the maintenance of around 81,000 jobs during the development of the Backbone Network.
All available PCPP information can be found at https://www.infraestructurasdehidrogeno.es/en
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