Spain suffered a massive power outage
Letter on hydrogen: Electric shock
Spain’s unprecedented blackout highlighted the risk for green hydrogen producers with exposure to Europe’s creaking power grids
Picture this scenario: Industrial plants and power stations across Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe are running at full tilt as their contracted volumes of green hydrogen feedstock arrive as ordered via pipeline network and trucks. Then the power supply trips. Iberia’s fleet of electrolysers, which feed much of the continent, grinds to a halt and suppliers scramble to tap into storage, paying hefty premiums to secure product for their customers. Power plants temporarily switch to run on natural gas, but some other hydrogen-reliant industrial process are halted, damaging components and wrecking supply schedules in sectors such as steel. Yes, pure fiction, and an over-simplificatio
Also in this section
25 February 2026
Low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia development is advancing much more slowly and unevenly than once expected, with high costs and policy uncertainty thinning investment. Meanwhile, surging energy demand is reinforcing the role of natural gas and LNG as the backbone of the global energy system, panellists at LNG2026 said
18 February 2026
Norwegian energy company has dropped a major hydrogen project and paused its CCS expansion plans as demand fails to materialise
4 February 2026
Europe’s largest electrolyser manufacturers are losing patience with policymakers as sluggish growth in the green hydrogen sector undermines their decision to expand production capacity
2 February 2026
As a fertiliser feedstock, it is indispensable, but ammonia’s potential as a carbon-free energy carrier is also making it central to global decarbonisation strategies
