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Application NO.10 2020 / 12

to markets outs ide the carbon capture, synergies in infrastructure utilisation

region. can be unlocked. In addition, switching the production
of hydrogen from current technologies based on fossil
fuels to low-carbon routes (coupling CCUS to fossil-
A central place in the future hydrogen based generation or using low-carbon electricity in
economy electrolysers) could be promoted through carbon
Thanks to the sustained development of hydropower pricing or similar incentives to take low-carbon routes.
in the 20th century, renewables make up 55% of Latin On the technological front, Argentina has been a
America’s power generation, much higher than the pioneer regionally and globally for producing hydrogen
global average of 35%. Variable renewables have been from renewable electricity. Since 2008, the Hychico
gaining ground thanks to the region’s abundant low- project in Patagonia has been producing hydrogen
cost solar and wind resources, as reflected in the low through water electrolysis powered by one of the
prices per MWh seen in recent renewable energy country’s first wind farms.
auctions. To live up to its potential to boost clean energy
One way for the region to benefit from this transitions, low-carbon hydrogen development
competitive advantage is to foster the development should be focused not only on production but also
of low-cost and low-carbon hydrogen. In Chile, for on building the necessary overall supply chain
example, hydrogen production from renewable and a conducive market environment. That means
electricity could be among the cheapest in the world, supporting innovation and technology development,
as highlighted in the recent IEA report The Future especially for hydrogen end-uses. Infrastructure and
of Hydrogen, mainly thanks to low-cost renewable institutional arrangements need to be developed.
resources. Chile’s hydrogen from renewable electricity Robust regulation, market structures and governance
could even compete with conventional fossil-based are required.
generation in the mid-term. Gas-producing countries In the rapidly evolving global hydrogen landscape, 57
in the region – where hydrogen production and use international partnerships, such as the Clean Energy
is currently higher – could also find opportunities to Ministerial H2 Initiative, Mission Innovation, the
accelerate the transition towards low-carbon hydrogen. International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel
Cells in the Economy and the IEA Hydrogen and
Towards a regional approach to hydrogen in Advanced Fuel Cells Technology Collaboration
Latin America Programmes, are powerful tools for countries to
Several Latin American countries, including Argentina, share emerging technological, policy and regulatory
Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, share many of the best practices. (Source:
characteristics that make Chile a good candidate for IEA)
competitive production of hydrogen from renewable
electricity. As demand for low-carbon hydrogen
rises around the world, this is an opportunity for
Latin America to export low-carbon hydrogen at
competitive costs.
While hydrogen from renewable electricity
appears an attractive opportunity for the region
in the longer term, in the shorter term low-
carbon hydrogen demand and infrastructure
could be developed in the region by
coupling hydrogen production from fossil
fuels with carbon capture, utilisation and
storage (CCUS). In Argentina and Brazil,
existing hydrogen production facilities could
be retrofitted with carbon capture units. In
industrial clusters with several co-located
CO 2 emitting activities that will also require

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