Consolidating Chile as a leader in the green hydrogen industry and its derivatives with a strong focus on the regions. That was the main objective of the event organized on April 22-23 by Corfo, the Ministry of Energy of Chile, the Delegation of the European Union in Chile and the German agency GIZ. The event was also attended by representatives from Germany, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Japan and the United States.
Biobío's energy potential
During the summit, various topics related to green hydrogen were discussed, with the aim of strengthening this industry in the Biobío Region. One of the main measures announced was the call of Corfo "Industrial Rings for the promotion of demand for H2V and its derivatives, and productive chaining in the Biobío Region". This initiative seeks to stimulate the economy and modernize the regional industrial base, financing up to 60% of the total cost of the selected projects.
In his speech, the Biobío Seremi of Energy, Jorge Cáceres, said: "We are very proud that this event of international relevance is being held in Concepción. Here we are not only promoting investments, but also recognizing the role of women in the energy sector and advancing in the strategic planning of the human capital that green hydrogen will require, with special attention to regional capabilities".
The European Union is committed to creating an enabling environment for the renewable hydrogen market in Chile and has committed up to 220.5 million euros for its development in the country," said Claudia Gintersdorfer, European Union Ambassador to Chile. Together we are contributing to decarbonizing the Chilean economy and at the same time creating green jobs and business opportunities for Chilean and European companies".
Transversal commitment of the Region
Not only the energy sector is committed to the development of this clean energy, actors such as the educational field are also present. Specifically, the University of Concepción participates through its Research and Transfer Institute (IIT), of the Faculty of Engineering. There, they provide technical assistance and research on everything related to the national and international productive sector.
In conversation with Fundación Imagen de Chile, Andrea Moraga Paredes, manager of IIT's hydrogen unit, who also participated in one of the event's panels, gave her vision of the region's progress in the industry.
When asked about her future vision for the region, the chemical engineer replied: "I see that the development of green hydrogen and its derivatives in the region is quite provisional. I would say that since 2019, the University of Concepción began to work strongly on how to prospect the Bío Bío region as a pole for the development of hydrogen and from that year until today I think the growth has been meteoric."
In addition, regarding the event, he valued the high attendance: "the number of people who attended this summit here in Concepción, who traveled from different parts, shows that indeed, there is much interest and that in the Bio Bio Bio region we have several characteristics that make us interesting for the development of hydrogen".
For his part, he addressed the relevance of collaborative work beyond private companies and the public world. "To say that collaborative work is 'important' is an understatement. I think it is paramount. Without that, you can't develop a new industry from scratch. If we look worldwide at the different initiatives that have been successful, most of them are consortiums of companies with public collaboration, where civil society is also involved, where there is academia, where research and development are included."
Finally, he delved into the key role of academia in this context: This type of project needs to have the academy to optimize, make better developments, innovate, generate entrepreneurship, startups, etc. It is very important, because all this collaboration also generates productive chains, which is something that is key for the Bío Bío region".
Check out more about the green hydrogen industry and its derivatives in Chile by clicking here.
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