The Community of Madrid is about to become a national reference in the use of sustainable technologies with the construction of the first green hydrogen plant in Spain that will use reclaimed water instead of drinking water. This project will be developed in the Wastewater Treatment Plant(WWTP) of Arroyo Culebro Cuenca Media Alta, in the municipality of Pinto, and will be promoted by the public company Canal de Isabel II.
Spain’s first green hydrogen plant with reclaimed water
Madrid’s Minister of the Environment, Agriculture and the Interior visited the WWTP to announce this project, stressing that the plant will be unique in the country. “Canal de Isabel II is once again positioning itself at the forefront, with the promotion and creation of this plant that will be unique in our country, because, in addition to using reclaimed water, it will obtain all the energy required for its operation from the WWTP itself,” said the counselor .
The new hydrogen plant will be powered by energy from solar panels installed at the WWTP and by the cogeneration of biogas, obtained from the utilization of waste. On the other hand, it is estimated that the plant will have a daily production capacity of approximately 400 kilos of hydrogen, an amount sufficient for a vehicle propelled by this material to travel 40,000 kilometers on the road.
This project is an example of technological innovation and sustainability, and at the same time, a step forward in the circular economy. It will also serve as a pilot project to evaluate the possible uses of hydrogen in other key sectors such as sustainable mobility, electrification of heavy transport and decarbonization of industrial processes.
Arroyo Culebro WWTP’s circular economy model
Construction work on the plant will begin in August 2024, with a completion period of 10 months and an investment of EUR 6.03 million, financed through the European Regional Development Fund / REACT-EU.
The Arroyo Culebro Cuenca Media Alta plant is a benchmark in the efficient management of water resources and the circular economy. Since 2012, the facility has been supplying recycled water for the manufacture of 100% recycled paper, and last year, almost 3 cubic hectometers of water went to this industry in the Community of Madrid.
In addition, the WWTP has a production capacity of up to 30 million liters of treated – reclaimed water daily, which is used for irrigation of green areas and other activities, such as street washing. With advanced treatment, it can generate up to 12 million liters of high quality reclaimed water for industrial processes and, in the near future, for the production of green hydrogen.
Canal de Isabel II and its management of reclaimed water
With more than 20 years of experience in reclaimed water management, Canal de Isabel II has achieved savings in water resources, contributing to the sustainability of the region. For example, in the first half of 2024, it reclaimed almost 58 cubic hectometers of water in its 33 tertiary treatment plants, of which more than 50 were discharged to improve the environmental quality of Madrid’s watercourses, and 6.18 were used for irrigation and watering.
Each year, Canal de Isabel II produces more than 100 million cubic meters of reclaimed water, providing this service to 26 municipalities and contributing to the irrigation of more than 400 municipal parks and green areas.
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Source and photo: Community of Madrid
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