- The Spanish government in the Extramadura region has given the approval for a draft law allowing special consideration to green hydrogen projects.
- Practically, the law enables project promoters to secure the declaration of public utility and social interest for land needed to start a green hydrogen plant.
The Spanish government in the Extramadura region has given the approval for a draft law allowing special consideration to green hydrogen projects in search of land and permits in the territory.
The proposed decree law still needs to be affirmed by the regional parliament. The law, if affirmed will make green hydrogen activities and associated facilities a matter of general interest for the region, according to the government of Extramadura.
Practically, the law enables project promoters to secure the declaration of public utility and social interest for land needed to start up a green hydrogen plant and land for renewable energy production and auxiliary infrastructure. The government said that the declaration of public utility and social interest can be used to expropriate and exercise the right of way for hydrogen production projects from isolated renewable energy plants.
The regional declarations of public utility for renewables in Spain typically entail a faster permitting process, since such a designation is normally given to projects that bring major benefits to communities. The Extremadura government did not explicitly state that the new decree-law would enable a fast-tracked permitting procedure for green hydrogen development. The government’s spokesperson Juan Antonio Gonzalez did say that the construction, modification, expansion and operation of green hydrogen facilities in Extremadura would not require a special kind of consent, being that they are already subject to industrial safety, environmental, urban planning and other applicable regulations.
Gonzalez said that cost-effectiveness is the critical piece to attracting investments to Extremadura. With this law, the region would like to take a step further and become the most competitive in Spain regarding installing green hydrogen as a renewable energy source.