State-controlled Ecopetrol is evaluating 18 possible hydrogen projects, including pilot projects for its Cartagena and Barrancabermeja refineries, that would require about $200mn-$300mn in investment, as part of Colombia's goal of developing hydrogen energy options.
Ecopetrol is one of the eight companies in Colombia, including Grupo de Energia de Bogota, that signed a letter committing to develop hydrogen projects. Colombia officially launched the government's 30-year hydrogen roadmap yesterday.
Ecopetrol plans to import a small electrolyzer from Spain in the first quarter of 2022 to test the production and application of the emerging fuel at its 165,000 b/d Cartagena refinery, on the Caribbean coast, chief executive Felipe Bayon said at a press conference.
Electrolyzers operating on renewable energy separate hydrogen from oxygen in water, producing the "green" grade of hydrogen for a variety of industrial applications. Ecopetrol declined to provide the name of the electrolyser manufacturer or further details.
Ecopetrol's refining system in Colombia currently consumes up to 130,000 t/yr of grey hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, including 68pc at Cartagena and 32pc at the 250,000 b/d Barrancabermeja refinery, in Santander department. The hydrogen is used to remove sulfur from motor fuels.
Ecopetrol is evaluating industry-run hydrogen, hydrogen-run fleets for light and heavy vehicles, and mixing natural gas with hydrogen. "A sandbox regulatory framework is fundamental to have certainty in the investments," Bayon said.
Colombia will start by leveraging the country's coal and natural gas resources for blue hydrogen production before moving into the green variety derived from renewable energy in the next decade.
"Blue hydrogen would serve as the base to start expanding the hydrogen value chain in Colombia to the large-scale competitive development of green hydrogen," Bayon said.
The roadmap looks to domestic oil refining, chemical and fertilizer markets for hydrogen demand in the near term, with $2.5-$5.5bn in mostly private-sector investment forecast in hydrogen projects by 2030.
By 2030, the plan targets a hydrogen-run fleet of at least 1,500-2,000 light vehicles and at least 1,000-1,500 heavy vehicles.
Colombia could produce at least 50 kilotonnes of blue hydrogen based on gas and coal gasification with the application of carbon capture and storage by 2030. In 2030-40, blue and green hydrogen would coexist in the market before the green variety prevails after 2040.
The roadmap highlights renewable energy hotspots, such as wind-rich La Guajira department, as green hydrogen production and export centers.
