The International Energy Agency (IEA) says that Latin America has the potential to play a major role in the future low-carbon hydrogen landscape. In its latest report, "Hydrogen in Latin America, from short-term opportunities to large-scale deployment," the IAE made several recommendations on the role that low-carbon hydrogen could play in the region's transition to clean energy.

“Latin America is one of the world’s leading regions for renewable energy use and in this context, low-carbon hydrogen has been gaining attention from policymakers in the region, mainly due to the region`s long-term potential to produce large volumes of competitive material and supply the global markets,” IEA observes. Eleven LatAm countries have published or are currently preparing their national hydrogen strategies and roadmaps, while more than 25 projects are under different stages of development, Kallanish notes.

“Some countries have the potential to produce more low-carbon hydrogen than they can consume, thanks to their abundant renewable energy resources. Chile has the ambition to produce and export the world’s most competitive hydrogen from renewable electricity by 2030, and many other countries share the conditions that could make the region a global leader in low-carbon hydrogen production,” IEA comments.

The agency suggests that the long-term deployment of low-carbon hydrogen production is a complex challenge for Latin America, which could only be achieved with the long-term engagement of local governments, industry, research and innovation companies and the financial sector`s support.

"Low-carbon hydrogen could represent a major opportunity for Latin America in net-zero emissions. So governments must define a long-term vision for hydrogen in the energy system and stimulate the initial deployment of key technologies and financing schemes, while reducing investment risk," IEA adds.