Accelerating the Clean Hydrogen Economy in Latin America
This report examines how Latin America can leverage its abundant solar, wind and hydroelectric resources to become a key player in the global clean hydrogen export market, while helping to address energy security concerns and drive economic growth across the region.
This report examines how Latin America can leverage its abundant solar, wind and hydroelectric resources to become a key player in the global clean hydrogen export market, while helping to address energy security concerns and drive economic growth across the region.
Countries in the region have different short- and medium-term clean hydrogen strategies and ambitions. As such, they may follow one of three potential pathways: net exporters, local decarbonizers, or focused players. The report profiles the progress of seven leading countries along these pathways:
- Argentina and Chile demonstrate ambition to become net exporters, with Chile showing potential to produce the world’s cheapest green hydrogen by 2050.
- Brazil, Colombia and Mexico are focused on local decarbonization by using clean hydrogen to reduce national emissions, for example in hard-to-abate sectors.
- Panama and Uruguay are examples of focused players, targeting clean hydrogen development towards specific sectors such as maritime transport and trucking.
The report analyses challenges these countries face in developing their clean hydrogen economies, including: low demand for clean hydrogen (linked to a high price premium), slow pace of infrastructure development, limited local capacity in technology and skills, and a lack of standards and certification. The report then presents a roadmap to overcome these barriers, with enabling measures spread across four categories: technology evolution and R&D; standards and certification; markets and financing; and matching supply and demand.