Market exploration between goals and challenges
Through a roadmap implemented in September 2021 during the government of Iván Duque, the production of green hydrogen is being developed in Colombia as the last link in the energy transition to which the current national government is aiming, as explained by Carolina Gasca , director of the National Hydrogen Association, a union made up of 40 companies, who, in addition to exploring everything related to this energy source, also work on its derivatives such as ammonia and methanol.
During the IV International Congress on Biofuels, organized by Fedebiocombustibles, an event in which El Diario was present, it was learned that said roadmap proposed with results by 2030, has among its objectives to massify the use of hydrogen both in industry and in the transport sector, however, faces challenges since its regulation is still necessary.
«Due to price issues, such as hydrogen is expensive, what is happening is that it is going to countries where they have very ambitious demands and very high carbon taxes, for example European countries… What we see from the Association is that in The local market is going to take time to develop because Colombia is a country that does not have a strong carbon tax, because it also contributes to the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions in a low amount, so we should start exporting hydrogen, which It will bring us an economy of scale that will allow prices to drop and promote national demand, when the price drops, we can start using that hydrogen in the country’s industry,” Gasca explained,
The union leader, who has been in force for two years in the country, added that it is expected to have a production between 1 and 3 gigawatts by 2030 and 40% consumed at the industrial level. «Regarding the demand for transport, the second sector that consumes more fuel, more energy, we want to have 3,500 light and heavy vehicles, it is an ambitious goal, we have been developing electric mobility for 10 years and it has not been a quick process (…) in terms of Hydrogen is going to be the same and we will have to look at what the niche is, yes heavy cargo transport or buses ».