The company carries out initiatives in the Laredo, Gregorio, and Cabo Negro sectors, which aim to generate enabling infrastructure for the development of this industry in the Magallanes region.
Today, Empresa Nacional del Petroleo (Enap) presented a progress report to President Gabriel Boric, who visited Enap’s facilities during his tour of the southern region, on its initiatives to develop new fuels which have as a relevant axis the green hydrogen projects in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica region.
The company’s executives presented the plan that seeks to capitalize on the strategic position in the logistics chain of the green hydrogen and derivatives industry, reconfiguring ENAP assets that exist today in the region and building new infrastructure in association with third parties.
Other authorities present were the ministers of Energy, Diego Pardow; of Public Works, Jessica López; of Economy, Nicolás Grau; and of Transport and Telecommunications, Juan Carlos Muñoz. The regional governor of Magallanes, Jorge Flies, and the presidential delegate, José Ruiz, also participated, among other regional authorities, who were accompanied by the chairwoman of the Board of Directors of ENAP, Gloria Maldonado, and the CEO of the state-owned company, Julio Friedmann.
Of the initiatives promoted by ENAP in this area, to date, the three most relevant and most advanced are the reconfiguration of the Laredo dock, the development of a new industrial complex in Gregorio, and the green hydrogen plant in the Cabo Negro sector.
In the case of the Laredo maritime terminal, there was an agreement signed in April 2023 with the companies Total Eren, HIF Chile, and HNH Energy, to convert said infrastructure into an H2v industrial hub, enabling the import of the equipment and components to make the investments. Among the main advances to date, are the development of conceptual engineering, environmental diagnostics, and studies associated with the maritime concession application process. The estimated investment for this project is between US$60 and US$70 million.
In July 2023, ENAP signed an agreement with six companies (Total Eren Chile, HIF Chile, FreePower Group, EDF Group, RWE, and HNH Energy) to transform the Gregorio maritime terminal into the largest green hydrogen industrial complex in the Magallanes region and thus facilitate the production and marketing of this fuel and its derivatives. Some of the existing advances are the development of conceptual engineering, environmental baselines, and the design of port alternatives with product unloading and loading requirements. The estimated investment is between US$700 and US$900 million, including storage.
Lastly, in April of this year, Enap announced the award of the construction of its first green hydrogen plant, which will be located in the Cabo Negro complex. Its objective is to generate green hydrogen using renewable energies from the Vientos Patagónicos wind farm ─of which Enap is the majority partner─ with the aim of producing the first molecules by the end of 2025.
“We were at ENAP’s historic offices in Punta Arenas, seeing the progress in the company’s green hydrogen projects. This company plays a very important role and is part of the productive identity of the region and its role in green hydrogen is a more concrete reality every day,” said the Minister of Energy, Diego Pardow.
“We are firmly convinced that public-private work is the way to facilitate the energy transition of our country and that, in that process, ENAP has a key natural role. With material assets, infrastructure, investment, and human capabilities, we want to be a relevant player in a new ecosystem of opportunities and challenges to boost the green hydrogen industry from Chile, for Chile and the world,” said the chairwoman of the company’s Board of Directors, Gloria Maldonado.
“The green hydrogen projects in Magallanes position the region as a protagonist in the global energy transition, taking advantage of the unique natural resources of this region, the competitive advantages offered by Enap, and opening an opportunity to diversify Chile’s energy matrix. However, we are assuming both our projects and the eventual investments that they imply in a responsible manner, understanding that, for now, it is a market whose development is incipient,” said Enap’s CEO, Julio Friedmann.
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