Hydrogen partnership with Chile EEHH signed Memorandum of Understanding with Innovation Center of Pontificia Unversidad Catolica

EEHH and Innovation Center of Pontificia Unversidad Catolica forged a partnership with the aim to strengthen the relationship and to promote the cooperation on a wide range of topics within the scope of production, use, import and distribution of green hydrogen.

The Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile is the 1st University in Latin America according to the QS Ranking. The UC Innovation Center has as its mission to promote a pro-innovation and entrepreneurship culture and ecosystem at the university and in the country, through the development of networks and the promotion of associative projects between the university, the private and public sector.

“Chile is a key partner for implementation of Hamburg’s international hydrogen strategy. With the optimal renewable resources (wind and solar), Chile can unlock its huge and untapped potential to produce green hydrogen at low cost. As Germany’s largest seaport and leading industrial location, Hamburg is set to receive and use the green hydrogen produced in potential export markets such as Chile to achieve the energy transition and decarbonization of the industry. Also, from Hamburg the green energy carrier will be further distributed to meet the demand in the "hinterland" of Germany and other European countries”, Jan Rispens, Managing Director of EEHH.

Chile: a leading player for green hydrogen

Chile is among the first countries in the world to have laid out a national hydrogen strategy. In view of the abundant potential of renewable energy, Chile sees itself as a leading exporter for green hydrogen (20 mi. tons per year) as well as supply market for the cheapest green hydrogen on the planet (0,65-1,25 USD/KG) by 2050. As part of the National Hydrogen Strategy, the German Federal Ministry for Economics and Climate Action supported the Power-to-X project “Haru Oni” for building the worldwide first commercial integrated production facility for climate-friendly fuels in the south of Chile.

Strong link between Hamburg and Chile

Since many years, Hamburg and Chile have been closely connected through renewables. EEHH’s member Nordex and Siemens Gamesa are the market leaders in Chilean wind industry. On the occasion of the delegation trip led by Hamburg’s first mayor Mr Peter Tschentscher to Chile in 2022, EEHH’s member Evos Hamburg GmbH and Hermann Lother & Co. Mineralölhandelsgesellschaft mbH have agreed to cooperate on the project “Hamburg Blue Hub”, which is aimed to store renewable fuels such as e-methanol, e-fuels, hydrogen and their derivates at the premises of Evos and distribute them nationwide starting in 2026. This landmark project can help accelerate Hamburg’s evolution towards a port for synthetic and climate-friendly fuels import and distribution in Europe. The City of Hamburg has also decided to focus on the cooperation with Chile within its own Hydrogen Import Strategy. The MoU between EEHH and the Universidad Católica refers to and enriches (with a focus on business and research cooperation) the MoU which has been concluded between the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Hamburg Port Authority, and the Ministry of Energy of the Republic.

The cooperation with Chile will also provide members of EEHH’s network with great opportunity to leverage their technological leadership to contribute to the development of hydrogen valleys and value chain in Chile, more specifically by developing strategic associative projects in the areas of R&D&I, Specialized Skilling and Reskilling, Analyses and Studies.