The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) is positioning the Canary Islands at the forefront of energy innovation and sustainability with the construction of Spain’s first offshore renewable H₂ generation plant. This initiative is part of the H2VERDE project, co-financed by the Government of the Canary Islands and the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan (PRTR), with Next Generation EU funds. The project aims to promote decarbonization and energy autonomy for the Archipelago, transforming mobility and the Blue Economy, and driving sustainability across the Islands.

Green H₂ is a clean fuel produced from renewable energy sources such as sun, wind, or the sea. Its use enables energy storage and transport without generating polluting emissions, facilitating the reduction of dependence on fossil fuels—which currently stands at 95% in the Archipelago—and supporting the fight against climate change.

“In island territories like the Canary Islands, green H₂ is a strategic solution to harness renewable resources and ensure a stable and sustainable energy supply,” explained Adriana García, project manager of PLOCAN’s renewable energy research line.

PLOCAN’s renewable H₂ plant will be installed on its offshore oceanic platform, located 1.5 km off the coast of Gran Canaria. The system includes an electrolyzer that, using renewable energy (solar, wind, and marine renewable energy prototypes), separates water into H₂ and oxygen; a fuel cell that allows stored H₂ to be converted back into electricity when needed; and batteries for energy storage.

Additionally, the facility will feature a H₂ dispenser (also known as a hydrolinera or H₂ refueling station), the first of its kind in a marine environment in Spain, to recharge forklifts and, in the future, ships and other marine vehicles, such as autonomous surface vehicles (gliders), among others.

This type of H₂ could power industrial vehicles and port machinery, replacing fossil fuels in key sectors such as port operations, tourism, and logistics, paving the way for zero-emission operations in these areas.

The plant hosted by PLOCAN, with a capacity to produce up to 15,000 kilograms of renewable H₂ annually, will serve as a real-world laboratory to test H₂ use in marine environments, fostering innovation, research, and the training of qualified personnel.

The project will enable the complete decarbonization of PLOCAN’s offshore platform, sustainably meeting all its energy demand and saving more than 200 tons of CO₂ emissions per year—a clear example that decarbonizing isolated energy systems, such as those on islands, is possible.

“With this project, PLOCAN reaffirms its commitment to sustainability, innovation, and the economic development of the Canary Islands. Green H₂ 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,” stated Alejandro Romero, coordinator of the H2VERDE project.

He also noted that “the use of renewable H₂ could reduce global CO₂ emissions by 20%. The European Union aims for this energy vector to represent 20% of its energy mix by 2050, with a particular focus on heavy transport,” and added, “annual fossil energy imports in the Canary Islands amount to 18 billion euros, and 90 billion in all of Spain; we must advance our energy sovereignty, and green H₂ will help us move toward that goal.”

Beyond energy autonomy in an isolated and fragmented territory and decarbonization, renewable H₂ in the Islands would promote innovation and employment, encouraging research, technology transfer, and the creation of qualified jobs in new industrial sectors. Furthermore, PLOCAN’s plant will serve as a model for isolated networks, demonstrating solutions that can be applied to other island territories.

The H2VERDE project has received a direct grant for reasons of public, social, and economic interest to cover investment expenses related to the project entitled “Renewable Energy and H₂”. This funding falls under Investment 1 of Component 17 (Complementary R&D&I Plans with the Autonomous Communities) of the Government of Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), financed with “Next Generation EU” funds through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).