- The company carries out initiatives in the sectors of Laredo, Gregorio and Cabo Negro, which aim to generate enabling infrastructure for the development of this industry in the Magallanes region.
A state of progress of its initiatives to develop new fuels, which have green hydrogen projects in the Magallanes region and Chilean Antarctica as a relevant axis, was presented today by the National Petroleum Company (Enap) to President Gabriel Boric, who visited the Enap facilities during their tour of the southern zone.
The company’s executives outlined the plan that seeks to capitalize on the strategic position in the logistics chain of the green hydrogen and derivatives industry, reconfiguring Enap assets that currently exist in the region and building new infrastructure in partnership with third parties.
Other authorities present were the Ministers of Energy, Diego Pardow; of Public Works, Jessica López; of Economy, Nicolás Grau; and of Transport and Telecommunications, Juan Carlos Muñoz. The regional governor of Magallanes, Jorge Flies, and the presidential delegate, José Ruiz, also participated, among other regional authorities, who were accompanied by the president of the Enap Board of Directors, Gloria Maldonado, and the general manager of the state company, Julio Friedmann.
Of the initiatives promoted by Enap in this matter, to date the three most relevant and that present the greatest progress are the reconfiguration of the Laredo dock, the development of a new industrial complex in Gregorio and the green hydrogen plant in the transportation sector. Black Cape.
In the case of the Laredo maritime terminal, there is an agreement signed in April 2023 with the companies Total Eren, HIF Chile and HNH Energy, to convert said infrastructure into an H2v industrial hub, enabling the import of equipment and components to make the investments. Among the main advances to date are the development of conceptual engineering, environmental diagnosis and studies associated with the maritime concession application process. The estimated investment for this project is between US$60 and US$70 million.
In July 2023, Enap signed an agreement with six companies (Total Eren Chile, HIF Chile, FreePower Group, Grupo EDF, RWE and HNH Energy) to transform the Gregorio maritime terminal into the largest green hydrogen industrial complex in the Magallanes region and thus facilitate the production and commercialization of this fuel and its derivatives. Some of the existing advances are the development of conceptual engineering, environmental baselines and the design of port alternatives with product unloading and loading requirements. The estimated investment ranges between US$700 and US$900 million, including storage.
Finally, in April of this year, Enap announced the award of the construction of its first green hydrogen plant, which will be located in the Cabo Negro complex. Its objective is to generate green hydrogen using renewable energy from the Vientos Patagónico wind farm – of which Enap is the majority partner -, with the aim of producing the first molecules by the end of 2025.
«We were at the historic Enap offices in Punta Arenas, seeing the progress in the company’s green hydrogen projects. This company plays a very important role and is part of the productive identity of the region and its role in green hydrogen is a more concrete reality every day,” said the Minister of Energy, Diego Pardow.
“We have the firm conviction that public-private work is the way to facilitate the energy transition of our country and that, in that process, Enap has a key natural role. With material assets, infrastructure, investment and human capabilities, we want to be a relevant actor in a new ecosystem of opportunities and challenges to promote the green hydrogen industry from Chile, for Chile and the world,” indicated the president of the company’s Board of Directors, Gloria Maldonado.
“The green hydrogen projects in Magallanes position the region as a protagonist in the global energy transition, taking advantage of the unique natural resources of this region, the competitive advantages that Enap offers and opening an opportunity to diversify Chile’s energy matrix. Without prejudice to this, we are responsibly assuming both our projects and the eventual investments they imply, understanding that for now it is a market whose development is incipient,” said Enap general manager Julio Friedmann.
