Latin America's Green Hydrogen Revolution: Investment, Projects, and Potential
Key Ideas
- Latin America's green hydrogen market is thriving due to abundant renewable resources and strategic geographical advantages for exports to global markets.
- Major players like Chile, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico are making significant investments and setting ambitious targets for green hydrogen production and usage.
- The region faces challenges such as regulatory frameworks, production costs, and storage solutions, but cost reductions are expected to make green hydrogen more competitive by 2030.
- Collaborations with European and Asian countries indicate Latin America's commitment to expanding its green hydrogen sector through international partnerships.
Latin America's green hydrogen sector is experiencing robust growth, driven by the region's abundance of renewable energy sources and strategic geographical location. With 60% of the region's energy coming from renewables, Latin America has a competitive edge in green hydrogen production. Major projects and investments totaling over US$120 billion have been initiated, with Chile, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico leading the way. Chile, in particular, has set ambitious targets for electrolysis capacity and investment accumulation by 2030. Brazil, with its favorable cost of green hydrogen production, is also making significant progress towards becoming a competitive player in the global market. Colombia and Mexico have unveiled long-term plans for green hydrogen production, with Colombia aiming for 3GW of electrolysis capacity by 2030. Despite recent investments and projects, Latin America faces challenges related to economic viability, production costs, and regulatory frameworks. However, cost reduction projections indicate a positive outlook for the industry by 2030. Collaborations with European and Asian countries further highlight Latin America's commitment to the green hydrogen sector's growth through international partnerships.