On July 19, the Executive Secretary of the Latin American Energy Organization, Andrés Rebolledo, participated in the event organized by the Ministry of Energy and Mines, where the Roadmap and Strategy for the production of green hydrogen (GH2) in Ecuador was presented, once the studies stage has been completed. The event was attended by the Minister of Energy and Mines, Fernando Santos Alvite, the Vice Minister of Electricity, Marcelo Jaramillo, diplomatic corps from several countries, authorities from the electricity sector, academics and representatives of the business sector.
Ecuador, through the Ministry of Energy and Mines, has as a development vision the “Just Energy Transition”. This perspective is understood as a long-term macro-process that seeks to meet the social and environmental commitments of Sustainable Development, promoting the use of renewable energies, energy efficiency and transition vectors such as green hydrogen.
The objective of Ecuador’s green hydrogen roadmap is to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in about 20 to 25% by 2025, in order to limit global warming to less than 1.5°C and make GH2 a competitive energy source.
It is important to highlight that the development of the green hydrogen strategy and roadmap are fundamental to take advantage of the renewable energy resources available in Ecuador in a competitive manner and move towards the decarbonization of the economy, making the country an exporter of green hydrogen and its derivatives.
During his speech, the Minister of Energy and Mines, Fernando Santos Alvite, said: “Green Hydrogen is the future of humanity. A new form of energy in which our country is starting with and, in the future, implement it for the benefit of citizens.” In addition, he added: “All countries are in the process of looking for new forms of energy and Ecuador is one of them. We are working on developing energy that comes from the wind, the sun and now from hydrogen.”
To achieve the objectives for the production of hydrogen and its derivatives set out in the roadmap, three phases have been drawn up: 1. Initial phase – until 2025. 2. Medium-term deployment phase – until 2030. 3. Long-term launch phase – beyond 2030.
These phases will address issues related to: Research, development and innovation, regulations; infrastructure and international cooperation. Each of the phases entails goals and milestones in relation to the implementation of renewable energy projects, production of green hydrogen and its derivatives, capacities, investments and reduction of CO2 emissions.
The document presented also defines analysis aspects related to: evaluation of green hydrogen competitiveness in Ecuador, estimation of internal demand and export potential, identification and analysis of risks and gaps, as well as guidelines for the development of hydrogen pilot projects that promote applied research for the specific realities of Ecuador.
Communications and Institutional
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josefa.corral@olade.org