By : Franyi Sarmiento, Ph.D., Inspenet, July 18, 2022
The undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining (MIEM), Walter Verri, highlighted Uruguay as a potential country for the export of green hydrogen.
[post_relacionado]Uruguay is within the list of countries that have optimal conditions for the export of green hydrogen, although this will depend on its development and how the competition will be against other countries, as well as the need for potential buyers to pay for that hydrogen.
“Basically, what we have is renewable energy that is practically like 100 percent of the country’s electricity generation. 97 percent of what we generate is generated through conventional renewable sources such as hydraulics and non-conventional sources such as wind and solar. Therefore, this is one of the great conditions that Uruguay has”, commented the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining of Uruguay (MIEM), Walter Verri, to Diario La R.
It also has complementary conditions between renewable energies (which reach up to 60 percent). This means, for example, that it is possible to intertwine them during the day; when there is no wind and there is sun and vice versa. This creates a complementarity that is seen at 65 percent utility during the day.
“I think we are all aware that we have to move towards decarbonization and be carbon neutral. The decreasing costs of hydrogen and renewable energies play a key role when thinking about hydrogen as the fuel of the future”, he sentenced.
Since 2015, a 50 percent drop in green hydrogen costs has been observed, and it is estimated that in 2025 it will be reduced even more (up to 30 percent); which enables costs to become extremely competitive. Currently, there is a global trend towards decarbonization, which is why this is a profitable market and there are enough reasons to think that the green hydrogen project could position Uruguay as a purely exporting country.
In turn, there are projects that have already requested environmental permits and the location of land use planning in the north of the country (specifically in Tacuarembó) for the manufacture of methanol. There is also the possibility of producing jet fuel (kerosene), which in some way is another of the fuels that can be made with green hydrogen; Ultimately, long-distance transportation and industry can be a development of it as well to shift from burning fossil fuels.
This material from the GrupoMultimedio portal was edited for clarity, style and length.
Source : https://www.grupormultimedio.com/uruguay-avanza-hacia-el-combustible-del-futuro-id1035273/