Electrification in Tarragona: GREHNA project

The main innovation of GRHENA lies in the electrification of heat production through the integration of solutions in heat generation and storage, including:

Innovative thermal energy storage systems (molten salts and crushed volcanic rock) that incorporate electric heaters, which store heat while producing steam
A high-temperature heat pump, which significantly increases the overall energy efficiency of the plant
An electric boiler to support the system and meet peak demand.

These systems will be 100% powered by renewable energy and operate together in a coordinated cycle to produce around 650 GWht per year, using only electricity and local water. This will save 1.45 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) over 10 years of operation.

The project’s solution will directly replace fossil fuels and increase the energy efficiency of thermal heat generation (above 100%, compared with the 85-90% achievable with natural gas boilers), allowing steam demand to be decoupled from electricity consumption by absorbing excess renewable energy or taking advantage of off-peak hours. It will operate safely and efficiently in a standard industrial environment at a competitive cost.

GRHENA will support the transition to a green and resilient economy by decarbonising industrial heat production through the large-scale deployment of net-zero technologies in a sector where decarbonisation is currently very challenging due to high demand. The project will also promote and attract significant investment in the growing renewable heat sector, contributing across the entire value chain through local manufacturing of technological systems and the creation of full-time green jobs.

The implementation of GRHENA in Tarragona will mark the first milestone of an ambitious plan to scale and replicate the concept regionally, nationally and across Europe.

The main innovation of GRHENA lies in the electrification of heat production through the integration of solutions in heat generation and storage, including:

Innovative thermal energy storage systems (molten salts and crushed volcanic rock) that incorporate electric heaters, which store heat while producing steam
A high-temperature heat pump, which significantly increases the overall energy efficiency of the plant
An electric boiler to support the system and meet peak demand.

These systems will be 100% powered by renewable energy and operate together in a coordinated cycle to produce around 650 GWht per year, using only electricity and local water. This will save 1.45 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) over 10 years of operation.

The project’s solution will directly replace fossil fuels and increase the energy efficiency of thermal heat generation (above 100%, compared with the 85-90% achievable with natural gas boilers), allowing steam demand to be decoupled from electricity consumption by absorbing excess renewable energy or taking advantage of off-peak hours. It will operate safely and efficiently in a standard industrial environment at a competitive cost.

GRHENA will support the transition to a green and resilient economy by decarbonising industrial heat production through the large-scale deployment of net-zero technologies in a sector where decarbonisation is currently very challenging due to high demand. The project will also promote and attract significant investment in the growing renewable heat sector, contributing across the entire value chain through local manufacturing of technological systems and the creation of full-time green jobs.

The implementation of GRHENA in Tarragona will mark the first milestone of an ambitious plan to scale and replicate the concept regionally, nationally and across Europe.

The main innovation of GRHENA lies in the electrification of heat production through the integration of solutions in heat generation and storage, including:

Innovative thermal energy storage systems (molten salts and crushed volcanic rock) that incorporate electric heaters, which store heat while producing steam
A high-temperature heat pump, which significantly increases the overall energy efficiency of the plant
An electric boiler to support the system and meet peak demand.

These systems will be 100% powered by renewable energy and operate together in a coordinated cycle to produce around 650 GWht per year, using only electricity and local water. This will save 1.45 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) over 10 years of operation.

The project’s solution will directly replace fossil fuels and increase the energy efficiency of thermal heat generation (above 100%, compared with the 85-90% achievable with natural gas boilers), allowing steam demand to be decoupled from electricity consumption by absorbing excess renewable energy or taking advantage of off-peak hours. It will operate safely and efficiently in a standard industrial environment at a competitive cost.

GRHENA will support the transition to a green and resilient economy by decarbonising industrial heat production through the large-scale deployment of net-zero technologies in a sector where decarbonisation is currently very challenging due to high demand. The project will also promote and attract significant investment in the growing renewable heat sector, contributing across the entire value chain through local manufacturing of technological systems and the creation of full-time green jobs.

The implementation of GRHENA in Tarragona will mark the first milestone of an ambitious plan to scale and replicate the concept regionally, nationally and across Europe.