Ecopetrol to begin work on green hydrogen production plant

Colombian state-run oil company Ecopetrol is set to begin construction work on what it says will be the largest green hydrogen production plant in Latin America.  

The facility is earmarked for the company's Cartagena refinery and will have the capacity to produce 800t a year of green hydrogen, the company said in a video posted on social media. 

"Ecopetrol has entered the modern era of clean fuel production, producing green hydrogen at a competitive cost and with cutting-edge technology in our refinery," Ecopetrol CEO Ricardo Roa said. 

He added that energy for hydrogen production would be sourced from a 23MW solar plant at the refinery, which began operating in April. 

The facility is expected to be ready in the first half of 2026, providing around 1% of Ecopetrol's hydrogen needs at the refinery. 

In August, Ecopetrol clean energy chief David Riaño said the company planned to export green hydrogen to Europe by the end of the decade, utilizing wind and solar energy potential in northern Colombia. 

Karen Peralta, the head of Colombia's Andi-Naturgas Hydrogen Chamber, told BNamericas last week that the country is on track to have 1GW of electrolysis capacity for green hydrogen production by 2030. 

According to the chamber, Colombia currently has around 49 hydrogen projects under development, 13 of which are being tested on a pilot scale. 

Among the companies with hydrogen pilot projects are Ecopetrol, EPM, Hevolución and Sumitomo.