Uruguay Launches new Hydrogen Association
The Hydrogen Association’s launch marks another step in Uruguay’s Green Hydrogen Roadmap plan, which leaders hope will bring the renewable energy sector to new heights and make the country a global competitor on the hydrogen market.
The launch of the Uruguayan Hydrogen Association, which took place at the Catholic University of Uruguay’s Business School, was attended by representatives from several government departments, including the Ministry of Industry, Energy, and Mines, the Ministry of Environment, and the National Administration of Power Plants and Electrical Transmissions.
As well as hoping to become a key player in the international hydrogen market, the group aims to promote a more collaborative relationship between businesses and academic institutions, and to collaborate with the Uruguayan government on decisions relating to the hydrogen industry as a whole.
The launch comes alongside the release of a study – also by the Catholic University of Uruguay – commissioned by the Chamber of Construction, which aims to help facilitate the integration of hydrogen into the country’s energy strategy by 2040.
The study outlined the main challenges of for the country regarding the advancement of the industry
The study outlined the main challenges of for the country regarding the advancement of the industry, and highlighted water, infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks as the three key areas for the country to focus on as it looks towards its ‘second energy transition’.
Speaking at a meeting in early May, the President of the Chamber Alejandro Ruibal said that Uruguay ‘has the potential to position itself as energy-independent in the future’ with hydrogen as a major source of renewable energy.
The group itself is made of several active members of Uruguay’s hydrogen industry: the Uruguayan Association of Renewable Energies; the Uruguayan Association of Private Electric Power Generators; the Chamber of Construction of Uruguay; the Chamber of Industries; and the Uruguayan Chamber of Logistics.
Alongside these institutions, the Association also integrates members outside the industry who share the group’s vision of making Uruguay a gold-standard within the South American hydrogen industry, such as the Uruguayan-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Uruguayan-Nordic Countries Chamber of Commerce.
Minster of Industry excited for the future
The Minister of Industry, Energy, and Mines Elisa Facio, who attended the launch, said: “It’s a pleasure for me to be here at this launch for the Uruguayan Association of Hydrogen. We consider this a real milestone for this nascent industry within the country.
“One thing that I would like to point out is that all these things that are happening, like this association, are milestones that are being achieved through the hard work of many people […] that have no doubt dedicated a lot of effort into this new opportunity that has been presented to our country.
“We understand that the green hydrogen economy is, and must be, a strategy of integrated development. [The local hydrogen industry] is an economy that is going to develop within the interior of the country, and we want to put a lot more emphasis on this new generation of possibilities.
“The green hydrogen economy will be sustainable, or it will not exist at all,” she concluded.
Uruguay has already long been considered a leader in the renewable energy sector, with 97% of its national energy being sourced sustainably. As it stands, the government hopes that in adhering to its 2040 Green Hydrogen Roadmap strategy, the industry could produce a turnover of 1,900 million USD a year, and provide over 30,000 quality jobs to the people of Uruguay.
Byline: Leslie Kerwin
