Inside the push to make the sunny south a “green” hydrogen hotbed
Tourists on mallorca might now marvel at a new attraction on the Mediterranean island: a miniature economy entirely energised by “green” hydrogen. At its heart, two solar plants power an “electrolyser”, which splits water into oxygen and hydrogen, creating carbon-free fuel. The hydrogen can propel buses, be injected into the island’s gas grid and power fuel cells at hotels and the port. “The project shows what is possible,” says Belén Linares, head of innovation at Acciona Energía, a renewable-energy firm that is one of the project’s investors.
There is one snag: the hydrogen has yet to materialise. Because of a design flaw, the electrolyser, which is made by Cummins, an American firm, has been recalled. Importing green hydrogen, which is derived from renewable sources, is impractical. Buses and fuel cells stand unused. A newly elected local government also appears less interested. The previous administration talked “a lot of hot air”, according to a quote in the local press by the new mayor of Palma, the island’s capital.
Source : Economist