Business | A place in the sun

Can the Mediterranean become Europe’s energy powerhouse?

Inside the push to make the sunny south a “green” hydrogen hotbed

Patterns formed by rows of solar panels on a large solar plant at sunset — Image: Getty Images

Nov 13th 2023|PALMA, MALLORCA

Tourists on Mallorca might now marvel at a new attraction on the Mediterranean island: a miniature economy entirely energised by “green” hydrogen. At its heart, two solar plants power an electrolyser, which splits water into oxygen and hydrogen, creating carbon-free fuel. The hydrogen can then propel buses, be injected into the island’s gas grid, and power fuel cells at hotels and the port. “The project shows what is possible,” says Belén Linares, head of innovation at Acciona Energía, a renewable-energy firm that is one of the project’s investors.

This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “A place in the sun”