Galp completes installation of Europe’s largest green hydrogen production unit
The Portuguese oil company expects to start producing this green gas in the second half of this year.
Galp has completed the installation of ten 10-megawatt (MW) electrolysis modules, which together constitute the new green hydrogen production unit under construction at the Sines refinery. It will be the largest in Europe when it comes into operation, expected in the second half of this year.
With a capacity of 100 MW, this plant is expected to produce up to 15,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year, replacing 20% of the grey hydrogen currently used in refinery operations. This replacement will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 110,000 tonnes per year (Scope 1 and 2, CO2e), the company said in a statement sent to newsrooms.
“With this pioneering project, Galp is closer to producing green hydrogen on an industrial scale — a historic moment for European refining and a demonstration of the growing strategic importance of Sines in the Iberian energy system”, said Ronald Doesburg, executive director responsible for Galp’s industrial activities.
He also sees this step as “fundamental” to the emergence of a new generation of low-carbon fuels, which enable the decarbonisation of activities that cannot be electrified.
The GenEco modules, developed by US company Plug Power Inc, are produced in the United Arab Emirates and transported by sea to Sines. Each 42-tonne module is assembled with the support of two cranes and a team of 12 people.
The decision to build this electrolysis unit was taken in September 2023, alongside the decision to move forward with a production unit for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), in a joint investment of €650 million. This investment will enable Galp to produce low-carbon fuels for aviation, maritime transport and road transport.
