Interview with José A. Otero, Technical Director of IR Maxoinversiones’ green hydrogen project in the Canary Islands: “The support of CDTI Innovación and the European ERDF funds is essential for innovative renewable energy projects”
IR Maxoinversiones is driving a sustainable green hydrogen production project that integrates the entire value chain with the aim of turning the island into a benchmark for clean mobility. A pioneering initiative in the Canary Islands, supported by CDTI Innovación and the European ERDF funds, demonstrating how innovation can redefine the energy model in island territories and open new opportunities for the transition to renewable fuels.
The story of IR Maxoinversiones is one of strategic evolution, responding both to market opportunities and to a forward-looking vision. Its origins date back to Trans Fuertcamión SLU, a transport company that was eventually absorbed by the current firm. It was then that a nationwide oil company, interested in establishing operations in Fuerteventura, approached the company to ensure fuel transportation on the island.
“That initial proposal created total dependence on the transporter, and ultimately the oil company suggested that we become its franchisee on the island, moving directly into fuel marketing,” the company explains. This shift triggered the creation of IR Maxoinversiones SLU, which today operates service stations, transports fuel, and supplies bulk deliveries via tanker trucks.
The company, wholly owned by IELG Holding SLU, currently employs 79 people—including the entrepreneur himself—nine staff members at headquarters, and an R&D&I department made up of two professionals. It operates exclusively in Spain, although it has begun expanding to mainland Spain after consolidating its presence in the Canary Islands. Its main clients are transport companies, construction firms, and industrial laundries.
However, the company’s real strategic leap lies not in geographic expansion but in transforming its energy model. “Our goal is to consolidate a transition from exclusively marketing fossil fuels to producing and commercializing renewable fuels,” IR Maxoinversiones states.
Fuerteventura, a real-world laboratory for green hydrogen
For IR Maxoinversiones, Fuerteventura offers unique conditions. “We consider the island to be the perfect laboratory to implement this technology,” says José A. Otero, technical director and project lead. It is a contained territory where “all expected production can be marketed and supplied with just three dispensing points, enough to cover the entire island.”
Another key factor is the climate. “We have up to nine or ten hours of sunshine per day on average, which allows us to power the photovoltaic installation associated with the hydrogen production center.” This combination of territorial scale and solar resources makes the island an ideal environment to test a comprehensive model.
The initiative is not theoretical but fully operational. “By doing this in a contained island environment, we can deploy, adjust, and validate the entire model more quickly and with a direct impact on local mobility,” Otero explains. IR Maxoinversiones also benefits from structural advantages: prior experience in energy supply and direct relationships with end customers.
The company’s conviction is clear: “We believe green hydrogen is the future of mobility—a clean and transparent energy source for consumers.”
Production, distribution, and commercialization
One of the project’s distinguishing features is that it covers the entire hydrogen value chain: production, storage, transport, and supply at hydrogen refueling stations. “The main value here is circular economy. We have a project that spans from production to commercialization of hydrogen, with zero CO₂ emissions throughout the entire process,” Otero states.
This integration reduces external dependencies and strengthens supply security in a territory with specific logistical constraints. “We do not depend on other companies adopting these technologies early; we can present a complete project that shows others a working model.”
The company is not starting from scratch. It already has its own transport fleet, sales centers, and a consolidated client portfolio. “The project is 100% complementary to our previous activities,” Otero emphasizes. This operational continuity facilitates hydrogen’s introduction as a new business line without internal disruption.
In addition, the company has gained prior experience in energy self-sufficiency, including the installation of a self-sufficient hydrogen refueling station with batteries and a hydrogen fuel cell, as well as renewable generation systems across its network of service stations.
Energy self-sufficiency as an essential condition
The production plant will operate entirely on renewable energy thanks to its own photovoltaic installation. For Otero, this element is non-negotiable: “Without energy self-sufficiency, this project would make no sense.”
The design allows for progressive scalability. As hydrogen production increases, the solar installation can be expanded to meet higher energy demand. This ensures consistency with the “zero-emissions” model from generation to final consumption.
“It enables us to maintain a clear focus on real sustainability and transparency for consumers,” Otero notes. Moreover, the renewable foundation makes it easier to replicate the concept in other territories, adapting photovoltaic capacity to project growth.
Learning while moving forward
Developing green hydrogen in the Canary Islands involves specific challenges. According to Otero, the main one has been finding qualified talent and transferring cutting-edge technologies to Fuerteventura. “We have faced difficulties mainly due to bureaucratic issues in customs services, where there is still limited knowledge about these new technologies.”
Legislation has not always evolved at the same pace as innovation. “In some cases, we have detected bureaucratic and tax discrimination against hydrogen vehicles compared to conventional electric models.”
As pioneers, they have taken on an additional role as technical interlocutors with public administrations. “We are advancing the project while also advising local and regional institutions to address this lack of knowledge.” Although complex, this process is building a foundation of experience that will facilitate future initiatives in the archipelago.
Diversification and a just transition
In the medium term, the project also envisages biodiesel production. For IR Maxoinversiones, the energy transition should not be exclusionary. “We do not want to impose any single technology, but rather offer all possible sustainable options to Fuerteventura and its people.”
Biodiesel is seen as a complementary tool to enable a just transition in sectors where electrification or hydrogen may take longer to implement. Hydrogen can also act as a lever for new renewable fuels.
This strategic vision is part of a sustained commitment to innovation: the company allocates around 1% of its turnover to R&D, a significant figure for a firm rooted in the traditional fuels sector.
In this context, institutional support has been decisive in sustaining a project of this scale. “It has been an important boost to continue a project where bank financing is difficult to secure, as financial institutions are reluctant to fund investments that do not provide immediate returns,” Otero acknowledges.
For the technical director, the support of CDTI Innovación and the European ERDF funds is strategic: “We highly value the work carried out by CDTI as an essential aid enabling Spanish companies to invest in projects with a strong R&D&I component, especially in the field of renewable energy.”
In a geopolitical context where energy autonomy has become a European priority, this type of backing is even more relevant. “Renewable energy has become a strategic objective for both Spain and the European Union,” he emphasizes.
An exportable model from the Canary Islands
Beyond its local impact, IR Maxoinversiones aims for its project to serve as a benchmark for other island territories. “If we are able to achieve this in Fuerteventura, with all the logistical complications it entails, we will set an example for other territories to adopt hydrogen.”
The key lies in demonstrating that the full model—renewable production, logistical integration, and final supply—works under real conditions. The accumulated technical, regulatory, and operational know-how could become a practical guide for other islands.
With this initiative, the company is not only redefining its corporate identity but also projecting from the Canary Islands a vision of sustainable mobility based on self-sufficiency, circular economy, and full value-chain integration. Green hydrogen is not merely a new business line; it is the cornerstone of a transformation that aims to position the island as a benchmark for energy innovation in Europe’s island territories
Caption: Hydrogen-ready gas station
CDTI Innovación
The Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation (CDTI E.P.E.) is the innovation agency of Spain’s Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Its objective is to promote technological innovation within the business sector. CDTI’s mission is to ensure that the Spanish business fabric generates and transforms scientific and technical knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable, and inclusive growth.
In 2024, within the framework of a new strategic plan, CDTI provided more than €2.3 billion in support to Spanish companies and startups
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