Page 22 - LatAmOil Annual Review 2021

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(Image: Gov.Co)

Colombia’s hydrogen ambitions

The South American country has published its Hydrogen Roadmap, which covers the 2021-2050 period

COLOMBIA’S government has finalised and In the first phase, which will end in 2030,
published a long-term plan for the establish- Colombia will focus almost exclusively on blue
WHAT: ment of a domestic hydrogen industry. The plan, hydrogen, which is less costly to produce than
Colombia’s Ministry of known as the Hydrogen Roadmap, outlines the the green variety.
Mines and Energy has steps the South American country will take to That is, it will use domestically produced coal
presented the finalised promote the production and consumption of and natural gas to turn out hydrogen, while also
version of its long-term blue and green hydrogen as an energy source utilising carbon capture and storage (CCS) to
hydrogen agenda. over the next 30 years. reduce the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs)
The Ministry of Mines and Energy unveiled emitted into the atmosphere.
WHY: the final version of the Hydrogen Roadmap on Then in the second phase, which will run
The plan calls for creat- September 30. It said it had drawn up the plan from 2030 to 2040, Colombia will seek to add
ing a hydrogen economy with assistance from the Inter-American Devel- green hydrogen to the energy mix without retir-
in three phases, starting opment Bank (IADB), which has also offered to ing blue hydrogen. This will involve setting up
with blue hydrogen and
shifting later to green help cover the cost of developing a regulatory green hydrogen hubs – that is, electrolysis plants
hydrogen. framework to support the 30-year programme. powered by renewable generating facilities,
along with the necessary distribution and export
WHAT NEXT: Phased roll-out infrastructure – in locations with significant
Ecopetrol is set to launch The Colombian government has yet to reveal wind and solar energy potential. One of these
test production of green full details of the roadmap. Ministry of Mines hubs is likely to be built in the north-eastern La
hydrogen at the Cartage- and Energy officials did say last week, though, Guajira department, which has enough wind
na refinery next year. that Bogota was planning to set up the country’s potential to support 3 GW of green hydrogen
hydrogen economy in three phases. capacity.

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