Andalucia is aiming to become one of Europe’s leading hubs for clean energy, with green hydrogen at the centre of its long-term strategy.
The region’s president, Juanma Moreno, confirmed the ambition after meeting Maarten Wetselaar, CEO of energy company Moeve, during a gathering linked to the European Hydrogen Energy Conference 2026 in Sevilla.
During the meeting, Moeve announced plans to invest more than €1 billion in a new green hydrogen plant in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva).
The project will form part of the growing Andalucian Green Hydrogen Valley, alongside other developments already underway in San Roque (Cadiz).
The investment adds to a separate €1.28 billion project already being built in the same area to produce second-generation biofuels.
Wetselaar said Andalucia has long been an important base for the company, but the new hydrogen project represents a major step forward.
‘We have always had a strong presence in Andalucia, but recently we were able to announce a €1 billion investment in a green hydrogen plant here in Huelva, alongside the €1.2 billion we are already investing in second-generation biofuels,’ he said.
Speaking at the conference in Sevilla, the executive even suggested that Andalucia could become ‘Europe’s Saudi Arabia’ for clean hydrogen, highlighting the region’s huge potential in renewable energy.
For Moreno, the investment reinforces Andalucía’s role as a leader in renewable energy development.
‘This means many things. It means Andalucía is becoming a reference point and a leader in one of the most important energies of the present and the future – renewable hydrogen,’ he said.
Regional officials estimate that the sector could generate up to 10,000 stable and highly qualified jobs, while also strengthening Spain’s energy independence.
‘If we have more clean and affordable energy in Andalucía, we will also have a greater capacity to attract industry,’ Moreno added.
The project includes the construction of a 300-megawatt electrolyser, which will use electricity from new solar and wind installations to produce green hydrogen.
Combined with the biofuel plant already under development, the total investment in Palos de la Frontera exceeds €2.2 billion, making it one of the flagship projects of the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley.
The regional government views hydrogen as a historic opportunity to help reindustrialise Andalucia. In addition to the Huelva projects, other initiatives are planned across the region, including a green ammonia plant in San Roque in the Campo de Gibraltar.
Moreno also highlighted Andalucía’s growing renewable energy capacity. Currently around 70% of the region’s installed electricity generation comes from renewable sources, a figure expected to increase significantly as hydrogen projects expand.
The Junta de Andalucia has set an ambitious goal: producing one third of Spain’s green hydrogen by 2030.
At present, 14 hydrogen-related projects are being promoted across the region through the government’s Project Accelerator Unit.
Together they represent more than €6.2 billion in investment and could generate around 10,000 jobs in Andalucía – a quarter of the estimated 40,000 positions expected nationwide in the sector.
Moreno also urged Spain’s central government and European institutions to speed up regulatory frameworks to allow projects to move forward more quickly.
‘We are aware that the moment is now, and there is no time to lose,’ he said, warning that regulatory uncertainty is already delaying some projects and even forcing companies to turn down European funding.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
