Leading the way in decarbonisation

The Bizkaia Provincial Council in Spain’s Basque Country has worked alongside companies at the forefront of the oil and gas sector in the design and implementation of the Energy Intelligence Center (EIC), located in the Basque Country Technology Park.

The EIC is part of Bizkaia’s plan to position the Basque Country as a leader in energy transition by leveraging the entire ecosystem to develop industry and technology to decarbonise Spain.

The technology park has campuses throughout the region and offers a sustainable green environment with all the services and facilities necessary for companies and people to share knowledge and build long-lasting and valuable relationships. The EIC is on its Abanto Campus, which was recently recognised as the first technological space in the world powered entirely by green hydrogen.

The campus is in an ideal location thanks to its proximity to the Port of Bilbao, the Petronor refinery and the Cantabrian motorway, and is an essential part of the Basque Hydrogen Corridor (BH2C).

The EIC will be managed by the EIC Foundation (Fundazioa), which was created to fight climate change through industrial and technological development, not only spearheading projects that strengthen the value chains of a decarbonised industry but also coordinating highly qualified talent, generating knowledge and collaborating closely with all the players involved in this key transition.

The EIC Foundation was created through a pioneering public-private partnership, involving companies including Iberdrola and Petronor, and its goal for the EIC is to create an ecosystem around decarbonised energies, integrating activities from production to end users.

Government backing

Supported by the local authority and industry leaders, the EIC plans to invest €1.1 billion by 2026 in a bid to reach 100% renewable or low-carbon hydrogen production by 2030.

The collaboration highlights the benefits of combining financial and technological resources to efficiently advance decarbonisation, create skilled jobs and strengthen the region’s industrial competitiveness – a strategy that could inspire other European nations.

The EIC is a modern 7,300m² building equipped with laboratories and advanced machinery. It’s been designed to accelerate projects developed by companies aligned with its mission, and includes:

• spaces for shared and private laboratories
• private spaces for companies
• workshop area (full-scale machinery).

Addressing energy transition

The EIC is a hub for competitive intelligence related to the technology market and regulation, as well as a forum for sharing knowledge, research, development and innovation projects. It wants to attract talent and projects that contribute to these values.

In line with Bizkaia Provincial Council’s goal to promote territorial balance and cohesion, the EIC will highlight the Meatzaldea mining region near Bilbao as a symbol of technological advances in the Basque industrial sector. This area now hosts a new industry looking to the future.

Along with the EIC, a Hydrogen Living Lab will be established at the site, offering the infrastructure to develop and test projects related to hydrogen and its value chain. The Abanto Campus has specific infrastructures linked to hydrogen, including:

• direct supply of green hydrogen to the Abanto Campus from a 2.5MW electrolyser located at the Petronor refinery
• a mobility logistics platform with a hydrogen refuelling station, a laboratory, and a loading and service station.

The EIC promotes the compatibility of industry in the Basque Country with the fight against climate change, transforming the energy transition into an opportunity to develop new technology. It is committed to addressing a fair and sustainable energy transition, focusing on:

• the development of decarbonised energies – renewable hydrogen (production, storage, transport, and end uses), synthetic fuels or advanced biofuels
• the development and evolution of technologies and products for efficient decarbonisation
• hard-to-decarbonise processes, such as heavy and/or long-distance transport, high-temperature industrial processes, or low-carbon energy production
• the development and advanced manufacturing of subsystems and components for the energy sector, enabling Basque companies to maintain international leadership.

INTERNATIONAL INSPIRATION

Next year, the World Plumbing Council Conference will be held at InstallerSHOW in Birmingham, an event the CIPHE was instrumental in arranging. This will be an unmissable opportunity to learn about how industry around the world is tackling our shared challenges, including sustainability and the energy transition. For updates, visit installershow.com/wpc2026 or worldplumbing.org.