After three years of research and technological development, the partners of the Hazitek H2INTEGRA project presented new physical and digital solutions for the creation of a hydrogen ecosystem that optimally connects and manages its generation, distribution, and end use. The closing event took place on March 24, 2026, at the BAT Tower – B Accelerator Tower in Bilbao.
The H2INTEGRA project, coordinated by Petronor, has been developed in collaboration with eleven other leading Basque companies in the hydrogen value chain: ALBA Emission Free Energy, CSP Iberian Bilbao Terminal, Envases Metalúrgicos de Álava, FERRO Maquinaria de Elevación, H2SITE, IBIL, Nortegas, P.Q.C. Power Quality Control, Sarralle Engineering, TEAM GROUP Engineering, and Tubos Reunidos. It has also benefited from the collaboration of Tecnalia and Petronor Innovación as agents of the Basque Network of Science, Technology and Innovation (RVCTI), and from the support of the BASQUE ENERGY Cluster.
The deployment of hydrogen as a key energy vector for decarbonization necessarily requires activating real demand, developing coordinated infrastructure, and ensuring a regulatory framework that enables industrial projects to scale. In this context, during the institutional opening, María San Salvador del Valle, from SPRI, highlighted hydrogen’s role as a strategic opportunity for the Basque Country, emphasizing its growing relevance in R&D activities across both the business and scientific‑technological spheres.
Building on this, Maribel Rodríguez, Repsol’s Hydrogen Director, reinforced the industrial vision of hydrogen, underscoring its decisive role in sectors where electrification is not viable, such as heat‑intensive industries, heavy transport, or the production of synthetic fuels. The company advocates a three‑stage roadmap: replacing grey hydrogen in refining, scaling the production of synthetic fuels, and ultimately creating a global market. To achieve this, the development of “lead markets” (such as green steel for automotive, e‑methanol for chemicals, or data centers in the future) is essential, as they can absorb hydrogen costs and generate demand traction, along with the promotion of industrial hubs that integrate production, consumption, and infrastructure. Repsol also highlights Spain’s competitive position to lead this development, thanks to its renewable energy availability, strong industrial base, and evolving regulatory environment.
Within this strategic framework lies H2INTEGRA, a project with a unique infrastructure that, after three years of research and development, has validated new technological solutions—both physical and digital—aimed at creating an efficient hydrogen ecosystem that connects its generation, distribution, and final consumption. This was confirmed by Miguel Palacio, director of the PETRONOR project, during his remarks at the technical opening of the session. The scope of this initiative is reflected in its key figures: more than 160 researchers, 16 participating entities, an investment of €6.5 million, over 84,000 accumulated working hours, and more than 670 coordination meetings held throughout the three years of execution.
Among the main advances are digital solutions for intelligent system management. PETRONOR and ALBA have developed an IoT application based on microservices that enables integration with control centers and real‑time monitoring of the infrastructure. Meanwhile, IBIL has designed advanced software that optimizes system operation based on economic, energy, and availability criteria.
In the industrial field, the project has demonstrated hydrogen’s potential in several key use cases for decarbonization. SARRALLE, ENVASES, and TUBOS REUNIDOS have analyzed the implementation of H₂ as a fuel in heat‑intensive processes, specifically in billet heating and aluminum can treatment. They have also conceptually designed a portable electrolyzer for the generation, compression, storage, and industrial use of H₂ (and O₂). PQC has analyzed the use of hydrogen as a backup energy solution for data centers, an environment where it may become a sustainable and necessary alternative given the continuous growth and power demand. Finally, CSP and FERRO have collaborated on the definition and modeling of a fuel‑cell‑based electrification solution for port cranes as an alternative to diesel.
Likewise, technologies have been developed to facilitate the integration of hydrogen into existing distribution networks, such as natural gas–hydrogen separation systems using two types of membranes: polymeric membranes developed by NORTEGAS and palladium membranes developed by H2SITE. Both enable the gas quality to be adapted to different uses, ensuring compatibility with current infrastructure as well as the supply of high‑purity hydrogen.
Safety has been another key pillar of the project, with TEAM GROUP ENGINEERING developing advanced multi‑risk analysis methodologies that enable the safe and efficient design of H₂ infrastructures.
The event was organized by the BASQUE ENERGY Cluster in collaboration with the H2INTEGRA project partners and included discussion spaces to contrast the work carried out and its potential usefulness with more than 60 attendees from the Basque sector, with the aim of fostering collaboration opportunities.