H2Pro and Doral Hydrogen partner on off-grid solar-to-hydrogen project for gas grid blending
H2Pro and Doral Hydrogen have announced the signing of an agreement during the European Hydrogen Energy Conference (EHEC) to co-develop a solar-powered hydrogen production project in Extremadura, Spain. The project is expected to be the first ever to produce hydrogen entirely from off-grid solar power for blending into the existing natural gas pipeline operated by Enagás. At a later stage, the hydrogen produced onsite will be injected directly into the H2Med hydrogen backbone, which will run through this location.
The project will begin with a 5-MW decoupled water electrolysis (DWE) electrolyzer connected directly (DC-to-DC) to 10 MWp of solar generation. Future phases will expand the facility to 50 MW of electrolysis and up to 80 MWp of solar capacity. The system is designed to operate fully off-grid, producing hydrogen powered entirely by solar energy and meeting the strictest RFNBO requirements.
While green hydrogen remains a critical component of many national strategies for both energy resilience and decarbonization, scaling production is at an impasse because LCOH remains prohibitively high, even as LCOE from renewables continues to plummet. The core issue is that conventional electrolyzers were not built to consume cheap renewable electricity. These systems were designed for steady baseload power, not volatility. To avoid serious membrane and system degradation, dangerous gas crossover, and low efficiencies at partial loads, they are forced to rely on expensive battery or grid backup, resulting in tremendous costs from electricity consumption.
H2Pro's Decoupled Water Electrolysis technology was designed specifically for volatility and off-grid operation, exactly where conventional systems struggle. By separating hydrogen and oxygen production in time rather than generating them simultaneously using a membrane, DWE unlocks hyper-flexible operation. Unlike incumbent technology, the DWE system can be turned on and off unlimited times without the degradation penalties associated with conventional electrolysis. It also operates with superior efficiency across a wide load range and can ramp up and down rapidly, adjusting production levels in real time. As a result, the technology is uniquely suited to volatile energy inputs and allows hydrogen production to follow the natural generation profile of the sun or wind.
"This project will demonstrate how hydrogen production can be designed from the outset to operate directly on renewable energy," said Tzahi Rodrig, CEO of H2Pro. "The ability to operate on intermittent renewable power, with endless on and off cycles and high efficiency at partial loads, is critical to unlocking lower-cost green hydrogen. By combining Doral Hydrogen's renewable development expertise with our DWE technology, we aim to demonstrate a new model for economically and technically viable fully off-grid hydrogen production."
"From a developer's perspective, the ability to produce Green hydrogen without relying on grid electricity is a significant breakthrough," said Yam Efrati, CEO of Doral Hydrogen. "Systems that can operate directly on renewable power simplify project design and reduce the need for costly batteries or grid backup. This can materially improve project economics."
He continued, "Doral Hydrogen is developing 1 GW of green hydrogen projects worldwide, with a particular focus on Iberia. We are excited to work with H2Pro to demonstrate how renewable energy can integrate into existing energy infrastructure until future H2Med pipelines are built, and to ultimately replicate this model throughout our global portfolio."
The choice of Extremadura, Spain as the project location is strategic. Spain is emerging as a key region for renewable hydrogen development in Europe. The country benefits from strong renewable resources, rapidly expanding solar deployment, and supportive hydrogen strategies at both national and European levels. Extremadura is one of the highest solar irradiation regions in Europe and offers favorable conditions for large-scale renewable energy projects.
Hydrogen produced at the facility will be blended into the Spanish gas network operated by Enagás, providing a near-term pathway for hydrogen integration without requiring dedicated hydrogen transport infrastructure. The Iberian Peninsula is also expected to play an important role in future European hydrogen supply through H2Med.
Amid constantly shifting geopolitical realities and fluctuating gas prices, hydrogen is increasingly seen as an essential vector for local energy resilience and independence. Affordable green hydrogen is also a key component of any viable clean energy system, as a complement to renewable electricity supporting grid balancing and long-duration energy storage, and as a tool for decarbonizing hard-to-abate industry. H2Pro is dedicated to bringing down the cost of hydrogen through its technology purpose-built for the volatility of renewables.
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