The roadmap for the use of hydrogen in Colombia is ready

“Green hydrogen will complement the Transition Energética de Colombia taking advantage of renewable energies, both conventional and unconventional, as well as the historical leap the country is taking in the rapid incorporation of wind and solar energy. The development of the economy of this energy, including the capture, storage and use of carbon for the production of blue hydrogen, will allow to decarbonize other sectors of the economy such as industry, transport and agriculture, supporting the fulfillment of the reduction objectives. of greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, it constitutes a commercial opportunity for the country, in a market with expectations for the development of new technologies and accelerated growth ”, assured the Minister of Mines and Energy, Diego Mesa.

This roadmap presented to the country, which included the advice and support of the consulting firm I-Deals and the financing of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), seeks to provide the tools so that Colombia can further take advantage of the wind and solar potential that it has been developing thanks to a robust regulatory framework, which includes important tax incentives, and which today places Colombia at the global forefront in terms of renewables .
(‘Before 10 years the country will massify the use of hydrogen’).

Similarly, green hydrogen, with a potential of more than 3 gigawatts in La Guajira alone, represents large economic and development opportunities for Colombia in applications ranging from the use of this energy vector in refining processes, gas transportation, sustainable mobility and production of agricultural inputs. Additionally, there is great export potential in the medium and long term that would allow Colombia to position itself in Asian, European and North American markets , taking advantage of its privileged location of access to the Pacific and Atlantic, and its proximity to the Panama Canal.

(Nation prepares a roadmap for hydrogen as fuel).

In addition, it is estimated that through hydrogen, Colombia could develop new value chains that will boost the economy and create jobs for high quality, mobilizing decade between 2020 and 2030.

This The roadmap also guides the country in its commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 51% by 2030 and its aspirations to be carbon neutral by 2050, since the development of hydrogen will allow the reduction of between 2.5 and 3 million tons of CO2 in the next decade, also promoting the decarbonization of sectors that are difficult to abate such as heavy transport, maritime, energy-intensive industrial processes, among others.

“The Roadmap of the Hydrogen of Colombia, together with the approval of Law 2099 of 2021, establish the foundations for a reliable regulatory framework, promoting the deployment of this sustainable energy vector, which will be key to achieving its emission reduction objectives. In addition, the development of the hydrogen value chain will promote the creation of innovative industrial capacities and technological knowledge, mobilizing potential investments and creating jobs with high added value. From i-deals / everis / NTT DATA we will continue to bet on innovation and the implementation of technologies as a source of solutions for the future of Colombia ”, stated Cayetano Hernández, director of energy transition at i-deals / everis / NTT DATA Colombia.

The Energy Transition in Colombia is already a reality. In August 2018, Colombia had 2 projects, one wind and one solar, which represented just 28 MW of installed capacity, that is, less than 0.2% of the country’s electricity matrix. Today the country has 15 large-scale solar farms, 7 self-generation projects and more than 1,500 solar projects Small and medium-scale self-generating photovoltaic plants that provide a total of 322 MW of capacity.

In 2021 , we are going to close the year by multiplying the installed capacity of non-conventional renewable energy that we found in 2018 by more than 20 times, thanks to the entry into operation of around 16 projects, including the first wind farm to be built in the country in more than 17 years.

In addition, at the end of the current Government, the country will have in operation and under construction more than 2,500 MW of installed capacity, driven by the two successful auctions that the Government of Colombia in 2019. This historic leap allowed us to take a new step in the Transition: the launch of the Hydrogen Roadmap, which will trace the path for the use of this clean energy in the next 30 years in the country.

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