10 hydrogen projects to watch in LatAm, Caribbean

BNamericas identifies 10 hydrogen projects to watch in Latin America and the Caribbean as investments in the nascent segment gather speed.

1. Base one

Location: Pecém, Brazil

Concessionaire: Enegix Energy 

Capex: US$5.4bn

Base One calls for a green hydrogen production plant to be built at the port of Pecém in the northeastern state of Ceará. The facility would produce green hydrogen from 3.4GW of baseload renewable energy. Operator Enegix expects the facility to be fully operational in 2025.

2. NewGen

Location: Trinidad and Tobago

Owners: Yara, NGC

Capex: Not available

Norwegian fertilizer company Yara International is co-developing the NewGen hydrogen project in Trinidad and Tobago in partnership with the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC).

The complex, which aims to produce ammonia, is expected to comprise 170MW to 185MW of electrolysis capacity. Construction work is expected to be completed in 2024. Yara already co-owns two ammonia plants, known as Tringen I and II, in Trinidad and Tobago.

3. Quintero Bay

Location: Valparaíso, Chile

Owner: GNL Quintero 

Capex: US$30mn

The project entails the construction and operation of an electrolysis plant for the generation of green hydrogen from water and electricity generated through renewable sources. The project, which will occupy an area of 0.69ha, will be located in Quintero bay, Valparaiso region.

4. Cartagena refinery pilot

Location: Cartagena, Colombia

Owner: Ecopetrol 

Capex: Not available

The pilot consists of the installation of a 50kW proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer and 270 solar panels. It uses industrial water from the refinery to produce 20kg of high purity green hydrogen daily. Barranquilla-based transport company Promigas also launched a pilot earlier this year that seeks to combine hydrogen with gas in its transport network. Another Colombian company to outline hydrogen plans is Grupo Energía Bogotá subsidiary TGI, which aims to use its existing transport infrastructure to deliver a blend of hydrogen and natural gas to its customers.

5. Tambor hub

Location: Tacuarembó, Uruguay

Owner: Enertrag

Capex: Not available

In May 2022, German renewables company Enertrag announced plans to produce large amounts of hydrogen and its derivatives at Tacuarembó in northern Uruguay. The first phase of this undertaking will involve the construction of 350MW of wind and solar farms, an on-site electrolyzer and conversion facilities. The goal is to produce around 15,000t/y of green hydrogen and convert it to e-methanol. 

6. Cactus 

Location: Pecém, Brazil

Concessionare: Cactus Energía Verde 

Capex: Not available

Cactus plans to produce 19,500t of hydrogen from renewable sources and 5,250t of green oxygen per month at its eponymous hydrogen facility in Ceará state. The project will tap 3.6GW of energy from the Uruquê solar park (2.4GW) and Camocim offshore wind complex (1.2GW).

7. Fortescue hydrogen facility

Location: Rio Negro, Argentina

Owner: Fortescue Future Industries

Capex: US$8.4bn

Australian green energy company Fortescue Future Industries will invest up to US$8.4bn to produce green hydrogen in Argentina. Slated for the northern Patagonian province of Rio Negro, the project includes an initial US$1.2bn pilot stage from which output would gradually be scaled up to meet demand from industries and the transport segment.

8. Haru Oni

Location: Punta Arenas, Chile

Owner: HIF 

Capex: US$51mn

The project envisages the construction and operation of a chemical plant for the production of methanol and gasoline from carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The initiative also comprises a 3.4MW wind turbine and would be connected to the local grid via an 8.8km medium-voltage power transmission line.

9. Neptuno

Location: San Luis Potosí, Mexico

Owner: Neptuno Solar

Capex: US$191mn.

The project consists of the construction of a photovoltaic plant with 484,680 solar panels and a green hydrogen generation plant in an area of 326ha. The project will be located in Villa de Arriaga, San Luis Potosí state.

10. Neogreen

Location: Paraguay

Owner: Neogreen Hydrogen Corporation

Capex: US$500mn

The project involves the installation of an industrial plant that would produce green hydrogen from renewable energy in Paraguay. In the first phase, the developer plans to supply green hydrogen exclusively to industrial users. In the second, the company would build a larger plant to serve other domestic consumers and export markets.