Enagás and Petronor advance hydrogen pipeline project in Bizkaia

Enagás and Petronor are advancing a project to build a 38-kilometer hydrogen pipeline connecting Muskiz and Arrigorriaga in Bizkaia, Spain. The infrastructure, which will consist of 30-inch steel tubing operating at a maximum pressure of 94 bars, is intended to serve Petronor’s 100-megawatt electrolyzer. The project has a budget of approximately 67.9 million euros.

Enagás has requested authorization and a declaration of public utility for the project, which would allow for land expropriation. The Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO) holds the final decision-making power. The procedure is being handled via an accelerated track, reducing the environmental impact assessment period from 30 to 15 business days.

Local opposition has emerged through the Stop Variante Las Karreras platform, which has collected nearly 1,000 signatures against the project. Critics argue that the shortened timeframe prevents adequate study and citizen participation. Concerns include the pipeline's proximity to residential areas, potential impacts on the ecologically sensitive Barbadun marshes and estuary, and the specific safety requirements for hydrogen compared to natural gas. In the municipality of Abanto-Zierbena, the proposed route is expected to affect more than 50 plots of land.