Repsol announces plans to commission a 100 MW electrolyser at its Petronor refinery in Muskiz, Spain, aiming to produce 15,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually and cut 167,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, as part of a broader industrial decarbonisation strategy supported by EU funding.
Repsol will add a second large electrolyser to its Petronor refinery complex in Muskiz, near Bilbao, marking a further step in its push to decarbonise industrial operations through renewable hydrogen. According to Repsol, the 100 MW facility is budgeted at €292 million, is recognised by the European Commission as an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI), and will receive €160 million from Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan under NextGenerationEU. Repsol expects the electrolyser to enter service in 2029 and to produce up to 15,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year, primarily for refinery processes and for supply into the Basque Hydrogen Corridor.
The company estimates the project could prevent about 167,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually and generate some 900 direct, indirect and induced jobs across construction and operation phases. According to Repsol, the new plant builds on earlier deployments at Petronor, where a 2.5 MW electrolyser began operating in 2023 and a separate 10 MW unit under construction at the port of Bilbao is intended to feed a synthetic fuels demonstration plant developed with Aramco, due to start in 2026.
Repsol has positioned these investments as part of a broader industrial transformation. In September 2025 the company approved construction of a first large 100 MW electrolyser at its Cartagena complex, developed with partners including Enagás Renovable, which Repsol says will likewise produce up to 15,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually and be operational by 2029. Repsol’s communications state the Cartagena project was awarded strategic recognition as an IPCEI and secured public support via the Spanish Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE). Independent coverage has described the Cartagena investment at above €300 million and noted Enagás Renovable’s participation.
Beyond Cartagena and Petronor, Repsol is also advancing a larger hydrogen project in Tarragona under the T-HYNET initiative. According to Repsol, the Tarragona plan envisages a 150 MW alkaline electrolyser integrated within the company’s industrial complex, with the facility designed to supply hydrogen to local refining and chemical processes and to support production of e-methanol at a planned Ecoplanta molecular recycling facility. Repsol says the Tarragona project has been selected for state support under Spain’s Hydrogen Valleys programme and will receive NextGenerationEU funding; separate T-HYNET materials estimate substantial CO2 avoidance and highlight water and efficiency measures built into the design.
The company asserts it is already the leading hydrogen producer and consumer on the Iberian Peninsula, accounting for roughly 60% of national output and around 4% of European consumption, and it frames these electrolysis projects as components of a wider shift across its industrial portfolio. Repsol’s 2024 strategic plan envisages significant capital directed to low‑carbon projects in its industrial businesses, including renewable fuels, biomethane and renewable hydrogen, alongside existing renewable fuels capacity such as the Cartagena renewable‑fuels plant that Repsol says can produce 250,000 tonnes a year from waste feedstocks and avoid 900,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.
While Repsol presents the planned electrolysers as crucial to lowering emissions within its sites and to supplying regional industry, the projects also carry considerable technical and financing complexity. The company’s statements emphasise public backing under EU and Spanish recovery programmes as key enablers; independent reports of total project costs and co‑investment arrangements, particularly at Cartagena, indicate variations in published figures, underscoring the scale and commercial complexity of deploying gigawatt‑scale electrolysis at industrial hubs.
- https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/refining/28012026/repsol-installs-its-second-electrolyser-at-petronor/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.repsol.com/en/press-room/press-releases/2026/repsol-installs-second-100-MW-electrolyzer-petronor/index.cshtml – Repsol is advancing its industrial decarbonisation strategy by installing a second large-scale electrolyser at its Petronor refinery in Muskiz, near Bilbao, Spain. This 100 MW facility, requiring a €292 million investment and scheduled for commissioning in 2029, will produce up to 15,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually. Recognised by the European Commission as an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI), it will receive €160 million from the Spanish Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan. The project aims to prevent 167,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year and is expected to generate approximately 900 jobs during its various phases. The renewable hydrogen produced will primarily supply the Petronor refinery and contribute to the Basque Hydrogen Corridor, supporting regional industrial decarbonisation efforts. This initiative builds upon Repsol’s previous achievements in renewable hydrogen, including the operation of a 2.5 MW electrolyser in 2023 and the construction of a 10 MW electrolyser in 2024 to supply a synthetic fuels demonstration plant with Aramco, set to start operations in 2026. Additionally, Repsol plans to install a 150 MW electrolyser in Tarragona, which will mainly supply Repsol’s industrial complex and is expected to provide renewable hydrogen to the future Ecoplanta, producing renewable methanol from municipal waste, and to other local industries.
- https://www.repsol.com/en/press-room/press-releases/2025/repsol-to-build-its-first-large-scale-renewable-hydrogen-plant-cartagena/index.cshtml – Repsol has approved the construction of its first large-scale renewable hydrogen plant, a 100 MW electrolyser, at its industrial complex in Cartagena, Spain. The facility, developed in collaboration with Enagás Renovable, will produce up to 15,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually, marking a significant step in Repsol’s strategy to decarbonise its industrial operations. Recognised by the European Commission and the Government of Spain as a strategic project of common European interest (IPCEI), it will receive €155 million through the Spanish Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE). The project represents a technological challenge and is expected to generate around 900 jobs during its different phases. The electrolyser alone will avoid the emission of up to 167,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year, equivalent to two-thirds of the entire fleet of pure electric vehicles in Spain in 2024. The plant is expected to be operational in 2029, contributing to the Hydrogen Valley of the Region of Murcia and aligning with Spain’s and the European Union’s climate objectives. Repsol is the largest producer and consumer of hydrogen on the Iberian Peninsula, concentrating 60% of national production and accounting for 4% of the hydrogen consumed in Europe.
- https://www.repsol.com/en/about-us/our-operations/industrial/renewable-hydrogen/t-hynet/index.cshtml – The T-HYNET initiative, led by Repsol, represents a decisive step in deploying renewable hydrogen on an industrial scale in Spain. The project includes installing a 150 MW alkaline electrolyser at the Repsol Industrial Complex in Tarragona, capable of producing up to 2.7 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per hour and 21.4 tonnes of electrolytic oxygen. This infrastructure is estimated to avoid up to 200 kilotonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of more than 37,000 homes in Europe or the absorption capacity of approximately 4 million trees. T-HYNET has been selected as one of the strategic projects within the state program of Hydrogen Valleys, promoted by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, within the framework of the Spanish Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan financed with Next Generation EU funds, receiving aid of €104.19 million. This project is integrated into the Hydrogen Valley of Catalonia and the Ebro Hydrogen Corridor, two key ecosystems for developing the hydrogen economy in southern Europe. The electrolyser will be equipped with advanced technology to maximise energy efficiency and use recovered industrial water during the production of renewable hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen generated will have various applications contributing to decarbonising different sectors, including use as a raw material in local industry, especially in refining processes and the production of chemical products such as e-methanol at Ecoplanta Molecular Recycling Solution, and in the future as an energy vector in sustainable mobility solutions, particularly for heavy and collective transport.
- https://www.repsol.com/en/press-room/press-releases/2024/repsol-begins-large-scale-production-of-renewable-fuels-in-cartagena-the-first-plant-of-its-kind-in-the-iberian-peninsula/index.cshtml – Repsol has commenced large-scale production of renewable fuels at its Cartagena plant, the first of its kind in the Iberian Peninsula. The new facility has the capacity to annually produce 250,000 tonnes of renewable fuels from waste, such as used cooking oil, which can be used in airplanes, ships, buses, trucks, or cars. Renewable fuels are an already available alternative that can be used in existing vehicles and infrastructures to help speed up the decarbonisation of transport. The renewable fuels manufactured in Cartagena will avoid the emission of 900,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. Repsol’s executive managing director of Industrial Transformation and Circular Economy, Juan Abascal, stressed that this first plant will be followed by other projects to increase the company’s production capacity of renewable fuels, as part of the process to transform the company’s industrial complexes and achieve the commitment to become zero net emissions by 2050. To promote the use of SAF, Repsol has signed agreements with airlines such as Iberia, Ryanair, Vueling, and Air Europa for commercial flights. The acrobatic unit of the Spanish air force, the Eagle Patrol, demonstrated the efficiency of this type of fuel in the National Day parade in October 2022. The deployment of this type of fuel has also reached the company’s service stations on the Iberian Peninsula. At present, Repsol supplies 100% renewable fuel at more than 140 locations in the main cities and transport corridors of Spain and Portugal. The company’s goal is to reach 600 by the end of this year and 1,900 by 2027. The new plant in Cartagena, whose production of 100% renewable fuels represents 5% of total diesel output of the facility or 17% of its kerosene production, will be followed by a second one in Puertollano in 2025. With an investment of €120 million, a unit at this industrial complex will be converted to produce 240,000 tonnes of renewable fuel. Repsol also plans to replicate this model in a third industrial center in Spain before 2030. Repsol aims to reach a total production capacity of renewable fuels, including renewable hydrogen and biomethane, of between 1.5 and 1.7 million tonnes in 2027 and up to 2.7 million tonnes in 2030, and to lead the market in Spain and Portugal for this type of fuel. With this project, and other initiatives already underway, the company is at the vanguard of the industry in terms of renewable fuel production capacity. Repsol has one of the most efficient refining systems in Europe thanks to average investments of approximately €1 billion a year over the last decade, a period in which the European Union has lost 24 refineries, the equivalent of around 10% of its production capacity of the fuels that are used in most of road transport. Repsol leads the industry in the production of renewable fuels with the Cartagena plant and other initiatives already underway. The company, thus, vindicates its commitment to industrial employment in the Iberian Peninsula, that provides higher salaries than other sectors and encourages investment in technology and innovation. The company’s refineries employ 28,000 people, including direct, indirect, and induced employment. Repsol’s Strategic Plan for 2024-2027 contemplates investments of up to €6.8 billion in the company’s industrial businesses, of which 44% will be dedicated exclusively to low-carbon projects, dependent on the Spanish regulatory and fiscal framework. These projects include renewable fuels, biomethane, renewable hydrogen, and waste gasification initiatives, among others.
- https://www.chemanalyst.com/NewsAndDeals/NewsDetails/repsol-commits-300m-to-spain-hydrogen-future-with-first-large-scale-plant-39460 – Repsol, in partnership with Enagás Renovable, has greenlit a 100 MW electrolyzer project in Cartagena, marking a major step in Spain’s energy transition. Energy giant Repsol has officially approved the construction of its first large-scale renewable hydrogen plant, a 100 MW electrolyzer to be built at its industrial complex in Cartagena, Spain. This landmark project, developed in collaboration with Enagás Renovable, which holds a 25% stake, signifies a major milestone in Repsol’s strategic plan to decarbonize its industrial operations and solidify Spain’s position in the emerging green hydrogen economy. The total investment for the project surpasses €300 million and is expected to be operational by 2029. Its strategic importance has been recognized by the European Commission and the Government of Spain as an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI), securing a substantial €155 million in public funding through the Spanish Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE).
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article was published on 28 January 2026. A press release from Repsol dated 26 January 2026 provides similar information, indicating that the article is based on this press release. ([repsol.com](https://www.repsol.com/en/press-room/press-releases/2026/repsol-installs-second-100-MW-electrolyzer-petronor/index.cshtml?utm_source=openai)) The press release is recent and provides original information, so the freshness score is high.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from Repsol’s press release. These quotes are not independently verified, as they originate from the company’s own communication. The lack of external verification lowers the score.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The article is published on Hydrocarbon Engineering, a niche publication focusing on the hydrocarbon industry. While it is a specialist source, its reach and audience are limited compared to major news organisations. The reliance on a single source for the information reduces the overall reliability.
Plausibility check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about Repsol’s investment in a 100 MW electrolyser at Petronor align with the company’s known initiatives in renewable hydrogen. The figures and plans mentioned are consistent with Repsol’s previous announcements. However, the lack of independent verification of these claims introduces some uncertainty.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article is based entirely on Repsol’s press release, with no independent verification or additional sources cited. While the information aligns with Repsol’s known initiatives, the lack of external confirmation and reliance on a single source raises concerns about the accuracy and reliability of the content. Therefore, the overall assessment is a FAIL with MEDIUM confidence.
