Anglo American begins study for Chile green hydrogen project

Mining giant Anglo American's goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2040 will only be possible through the use of green hydrogen, according to Patricio Hidalgo, CEO of the Chilean subsidiary.

Anglo has therefore begun a study to "evaluate the viability of the required ecosystem" for its green hydrogen corridor project, said Hidalgo, speaking at the Expomin mining conference held in Santiago.

The plan is to create the corridor in central Chile, in different areas of the Santiago Metropolitan and Valparaíso regions, and the study is being carried out together with the hydrogen technology unit of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, international consultants and energy solutions firm First Mode.

It will identify fields of application for green hydrogen, the emissions reduction potential, the required investment, the jobs it will generate, and lay the foundations for a testing and training lab, Anglo's green hydrogen project expert, Francisco Belmar, told digital outlet Revolución Circular recently.

Central Chile lacks the favorable climate conditions for renewable energies that the north and the south offer, but it is vital for the efforts to reduce emissions in the mining industry and at the national level, said Belmar.

Anglo's biggest operation in Chile, Los Bronces, is located in the Metropolitan region.

It "concentrates about 35% of Chile's emissions, approximately 30Mt of CO2," due to the large concentration of industries and logistics operations related to the ports of Valparaíso and San Antonio, he said. For this reason, cargo trucks will be one of the project's focus areas, Belmar added.

The local mining industry has a fleet of approximately 1,500 CAEX trucks that will be another focus of the project to reduce energy consumption and emissions, said Belmar, adding that transportation of workers is also an area of interest.

According to the Chilean energy ministry, the green hydrogen industry could represent 10% of the country's GDP by 2050. And the mining ministry estimates that investments in green hydrogen will increase from a projected US$45bn in 2030 to US$330bn by 2050.