Zaragoza, October 18^th, 2024 - The President of the Government of Aragón, Jorge Azcón, has announced a groundbreaking project, emphasizing the significance of these investments and their impact on the region, positioning it as a leader in the sector. “There are no plants with such production capacity in all of Spain; this is the most important project being promoted in our country in this field”, he stated.

The company Alkeymia will establish a green hydrogen and ammonia production and storage plant in the El Portal de Caspe industrial area, with a total investment of 700 million euros. Construction is expected to begin at the end of 2025, with operations launching in phases throughout 2027 and 2028. Once fully operational, the facility will create 85 skilled jobs, with an additional 1,000 jobs during the construction phase.

The so-called Pilar Project will include two plants, one dedicated to green hydrogen production with an investment of 208 million euros, which will supply a green ammonia plant requiring a further 272 million euros. At full capacity, the facility will produce 30,000 tons of green hydrogen and 160,000 tons of green ammonia annually. The ammonia will be used for manufacturing fertilizers, chemical products, and pharmaceuticals.

Additionally, an 8-kilometer pipeline will be built to inject green hydrogen into the P-19 access point of the Hydrogen Backbone Network being developed by Enagás, enabling its commercialization and self-consumption at the plant. For ammonia, transportation is planned via rail to various national ports, necessitating the construction of a railway siding in the Ciudad del Compromiso industrial area.

To power the plants, the project includes the construction of two wind farms, named Los Sarmientos (87.7 MW) and Sanjosías (105 MW). These wind farms and other infrastructure will be located in Caspe and neighboring municipalities such as Mequinenza, Fabara, and Nonaspe.

A UNIQUE PRODUCTION CAPACITY IN SPAIN

President Jorge Azcón highlighted the project’s transformative potential for Aragón. “There are no plants with such production capacity in all of Spain; this is the most important project being promoted in our country in this field,” he reiterated.

The Government Council has already approved the Autonomous Declaration of General Interest (DIGA), streamlining the procedures to ensure the plant’s realization by 2025. The timeline also depends on obtaining the necessary approvals for the adjacent wind farms, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

RAW MATERIALS, RENEWABLE ENERGY, AND WATER

Alkeymia CEO Diego Fabeiro explained the choice of Caspe and Aragón for this project, citing the region’s access to “raw materials, renewable energy, and water from the Ebro River.” He also emphasized the project’s “window of opportunity” to attract further investments to Aragón, hinting at potential synergies with the green hydrogen factory in Andorra.

Regarding water availability and necessary permits, Fabeiro praised the Caspe City Council’s willingness to "accelerate processes" through a “concession”. Collaboration is also underway with the Government of Aragón to develop the railway siding at El Portal industrial area, a critical component for the project’s competitiveness.