Water Scarcity and Green Hydrogen Production in Spain

With one of the highest renewable energy potentials in the EU, Spain has strong ambitions to become a key player in the emerging green hydrogen economy. It recently adopted the target of installing 12 GW of electrolyzer capacity for green hydrogen production by 2030, which makes it the most ambitious producer country in Europe (Collins, 2024). According to government estimates, around 20% of green hydrogen projects worldwide are located in Spain (Spain, 2024). However, these ambitions could exacerbate conflicts over environmental resources due to the vast quantitites of water required for the production of green hydrogen.