The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (Plocan) is set to build an offshore green hydrogen plant in the Canary Islands, with a planned production capacity of 15,000kg per year.
Located 1.5km off the coast of Gran Canaria, the plant will utilise an electrolyser powered by renewable energy, including solar, wind and marine renewable energy prototypes. A fuel cell will also be installed to convert the stored hydrogen back into electricity when needed.
The complex will also feature a hydrogen dispenser to refuel forklifts and, in the future, ships and other marine vehicles. Plocan has said the facility will serve “as a real-world laboratory to test hydrogen use in marine environments.”
The initiative is part of the H2Verde project and co-financed by the Government of the Canary Islands and the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan (PRTR), with Next Generation EU funds.
The Spanish government awarded a direct grant of €6m ($6.8m) to the Plocan organisation to build and operate the offshore green hydrogen plant.
“Green hydrogen stands out as an opportunity to create new sectors, attract talent, and position the islands as an international benchmark in clean energy and the Blue Economy,” explained Alejandro Romero, Coordinator of the H2Verde project.
“Annual fossil energy imports in the Canary Islands amount to €18bn, and €90bn in all of Spain,” Romero added. “We must advance our energy sovereignty, and green hydrogen will help us move toward that goal.”
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