Head of State said that environmental challenge is also an opportunity.
The country’s global leadership in the development of renewable energies was one of the points highlighted by President Piñera, within the framework of the role these resources play in the climate crisis. “For Chile, the environmental challenge constitutes a problem and also an opportunity,” said the President, who added that “we also have great potential to become an efficient world producer of Green Hydrogen, a clean and renewable fuel (…) that can surpass mining as a generator of jobs, wealth, opportunities and exports for Chile. Although the prospects for this industry are positive, there are still important challenges for the coming years.
As explained by the president of the Association of Generators, Claudio Seebach, the key lies in the electrification of cities. “What is coming forward is that the costs of batteries and electrolysers are going to drop, but the first thing is electrification. , hydrogen is for those things that cannot be electrified, for example, maritime transport, “said Seebach, who added that it is key that the country manages to maintain its attractiveness for foreign investment.
“The country’s success has been to be super open to the world, with free trade agreements, with the rule of law, if those principles are preserved, this investment can be sustained,” he said. The executive director of Plusmining, Juan Carlos Guajardo, assured that green hydrogen has an unbeatable future, considering the size of the world energy market, however, he advanced that a lot of work is required to make the country’s potential a reality and get closer the importance of mining. “The copper industry is consolidated, and has been built on a centuries-old history where many millions of dollars have been invested, so reaching that size requires a gigantic effort.”
Source: El Mercurio
