MUNICH — An important component of the Bavarian hydrogen strategy are international partnerships with future suppliers of green hydrogen. For this reason, a Bavarian hydrogen delegation with representatives from business, research and politics will visit Chile and Colombia from June 20th to 24th. Bavaria’s Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, Roland Weigert, will join the delegation in Colombia on June 22 and meet Energy Minister Diego Mesa in Bogotá, among other places.
Weigert: “Green hydrogen is the key resource in the transformation of our economy towards climate neutrality. In Bavaria, we will need large quantities of this climate-friendly energy source in the foreseeable future and, despite the expansion of renewable energies, we will not be able to produce everything ourselves. That’s why we visit Chile and Colombia. Both countries are pursuing ambitious hydrogen strategies and have impressive potential for the production of green hydrogen. On our trip we want to get to know strategic technology partners with whom we will work together in the future to ramp up the green hydrogen economy. To do this, we will use Bavarian high-tech solutions for manufacturing,
The focus is also on networking in research and development. The board of directors of the Bavarian Hydrogen Center H2.B, Prof. Dr. Peter Wasserscheid, the rector of the TUM Campus Straubing, Prof. Dr. Volker Sieber, and the head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Sextl, part of the journey. State Secretary Weigert: We want to bring leading Bavarian, Chilean and Colombian research institutions together and initiate cooperation. In doing so, we are paving the way for subsequent hydrogen projects with industry.”
In Santiago de Chile, Energy Minister Claudio Huepe Minoletti receives the Bavarian hydrogen delegation, which also includes state parliamentarians Benjamin Miskowitsch (CSU) and Florian von Brunn (SPD). The program also includes a visit to the Cerro Dominador solar thermal power plant, which went into operation in 2021. In Colombia, Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Roland Weigert will discuss the potential of the hydrogen economy for both countries with Energy Minister Diego Mesa. In addition, there is an exchange with representatives of the national energy companies Ecopetrol and Grupo Energia Bogotá.
Bavaria and Chile maintain close cooperation in a wide range of areas such as renewable energies and climate protection. Currently, the green hydrogen economy is increasingly coming into focus in the cooperation. In 2020, Chile became the first country in Latin America to present its green hydrogen strategy. The aim is to produce the world’s cheapest green hydrogen by 2030 and to be one of the largest exporters. Chile has ideal natural conditions for generating electricity from renewable sources. The Atacama Desert in the north is one of the areas with the strongest solar radiation in the world and winds occur on a coastline of more than 6,000 kilometers with an intensity that in some places can only be reached at sea. A study by the Society for International Cooperation estimates the potential for renewable energy sources at 1,800 gigawatts. That’s 75 times more than Chile’s total electricity needs.
Like Chile, Colombia also wants to position itself as a pioneer for hydrogen in the region with a number of measures. The basis is the “Hydrogen Roadmap” published in September 2021. The country’s first pilot project was launched in March. The state-owned oil company Ecopetrol produces green hydrogen at its refinery in Cartagena. The fourth largest oil producer in Latin America also announced that it would increase its focus on geothermal energy and hydrogen in order to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels. There is great interest in Colombia in working closely with international actors.
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