In the seminar "Green Hydrogen in Chile: actions to take advantage of the window of opportunity", co-organized by the French power generation company EDF Chile and the UC Energy Centre, key issues were identified which, if not properly addressed, could become bottlenecks for the development of green hydrogen projects, including the lack of shared infrastructure and the need for a more streamlined permitting process.
Santiago, August, 8th, 2024. The importance that Chile resolves the pending issues to enable the green hydrogen industry so as not to lose the current window of opportunity. This was the central theme of the seminar co-organized by the French power generation company EDF Chile and the Energy Centre of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, which gathered authorities, private sector representatives, academics, and members of civil society.
The activity was held at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and was sponsored by the Ministry of Energy, H2 Chile, the H2V Magallanes Association and the French-Chilean Chamber of Commerce. During the seminar, various stakeholders and experts from the energy sector exchanged views on the progress of the green hydrogen industry in Chile compared to its development in other countries, and they discussed critical issues that still need to be addressed to allow the projects’ further development.
EDF Group considers green hydrogen to be one of the pillars of its strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and identifies Chile as a priority country for reaching this goal, given its exceptional natural potential for renewable energy development.
At the event, the implementation of the Green Hydrogen Action Plan was reviewed. While acknowledging the progress made, several industry leaders pointed out the challenges that persist and need to be addressed through concrete measures to enable the projects’ development.
Joan Leal, CEO of EDF Chile and director of H2V Magallanes, highlighted the participation of stakeholders from various fields and the level of the discussion. He stated that “the development of the green hydrogen industry is a national project that involves both the private and public sectors. There are several companies that are developing projects and making significant investments in Chile; however, clearer signals and more concrete actions from the government are needed to advance on critical issues for the industry that remain pending, particularly shared infrastructure and simplifying the permitting process."
Regarding the implementation of the Green Hydrogen Plan 2023-2030, Undersecretary of Energy Luis Felipe Ramos stated: “Chile has significant opportunities to advance towards a more diverse, productive, and innovative economy, creating quality jobs and positioning ourselves in key industries for a sustainable future. This year, alongside President Gabriel Boric, we introduced the Green Hydrogen Action Plan 2023-2030, which was developed comprehensively and collaboratively. The plan, which is already being implemented, focuses on converting existing infrastructure, creating better jobs, and providing opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises to integrate into value chains.”
Finally, Patricio Lillo, professor at the UC Mining Engineering Department and director of H2 Chile, pointed out that the next five years will be decisive to consolidate the country’s leadership and achieve the established objectives in the development of green hydrogen. “The State has played an active role in several areas, implementing policies and encouraging investments to boost this emerging industry. Now we face a critical phase to establish ourselves as a relevant player on the global market and we can’t afford to miss the opportunity”, he stated.
