Spain's hydrogen backbone: 234 km under urgent procedure

Until now Spain's hydrogen backbone existed as planning. On 30 September 2026 MITECO opened the permitting process for the first four pipelines, 234 km and about EUR 389 million, under the urgency procedure, at the request of the developers of three electrolysers: Onuba in Huelva, 300 MW, Catalina in Teruel, 500 MW, and Petronor in Biscay, 100 MW.

The urgency procedure halves the administrative deadlines, but not those of the environmental impact assessment or the public hearing, the ministry's statement says. The legal basis is additional provision 38 of Law 34/1998: under it the sections have negotiated access and receive no regulated remuneration from the gas system.

The risk moves. Environmental permitting remains the critical path, and pipeline revenue depends on contracts with the three electrolysers rather than on a tariff.

Construction of each pipeline is estimated at eight months to one year. The milestone to watch is the environmental decision for each section and the signing of the access contracts.