Solvay SA and the energy company Enagás SA (Madrid) have signed an agreement to develop a hydrogen storage hub at Polanco, Cantabria, Spain, according to a Solvay statement June 26.

Solvay’s salt caverns infrastructure, originally developed by the company for soda ash production operations, will be repurposed into hydrogen storage under the coordination of Enagás for the purposes of the project, Solvay said. The stored capacity will be integrated into Spain’s future energy system, the company said.

The caverns will provide a safe, flexible, and scalable solution for storing renewable hydrogen, supporting the network stability and helping address renewable electricity intermittency, the company said.

The project, developed in coordination with local stakeholders, strengthens Solvay’s position as a leading provider of salt cavern infrastructure in Europe, it said.

This initiative supports Spain’s ambition to become a key producer and exporter of renewable hydrogen, Solvay said.

This agreement is a key milestone in the development of Spain’s hydrogen backbone,” according to Enagás CEO Arturo Gonzalo.

The combination of Enagás’ experience in energy infrastructure with Solvay's industrial capabilities will lay the foundations for a hydrogen network that will help achieve both national and European decarbonization goals and boost competitiveness, Gonzalo noted.