National Government advances in the development of the Roadmap for the implementation of Green Hydrogen in Ecuador

Statement Ministry of Energy and Mines

This is an automated translation of the press release issued in Spanish

Within the framework of the draft roadmap and strategy for the production of Green Hydrogen in the country, the Ministry of Energy and Mines with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), carried out on March 20, 2023 , in the city of Quito, the Workshop for the identification of long-term goals and objectives of the project.

The event had the participation of public and private actors, as well as representatives of the government, business, academic and organizational sectors, who held an extensive debate where they shared recommendations, initiatives, as well as suggestions, to define goals, objectives and deadlines, which will be considered in the development stage of the roadmap.

Hydrogen is a key component in the energy transition, more and more countries are joining this transformation trend to tend to its use in: electricity generation, transportation and/ or for the processing of derivatives (synthetic fuels), these as part for the solution to the climate change crisis.

The draft of the roadmap and strategy for the production of Green Hydrogen had its official launch on December 1, 2022 and has the support of the International Consulting firm Fichtner , who indicated that up to now they have delivered, analyzed and approved phases two and three of the development of this project, which correspond to:

- Workplan.

– Evaluation of competitiveness of green hydrogen in Ecuador.

– Estimation of domestic demand and export potential according to the competitiveness assessment, including a calculation of the potential for GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission reductions and regulatory enablers.

The general objective of the Consultancy is to support the Ecuadorian State in fulfilling its commitments to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions between 20 and 25% by the year 2025. Up to now, the consultancy has defined three specific objectives for the project:

– Generate technical, economic, environmental and social information related to the green hydrogen value chain in Ecuador.

– Propose a strategic plan through a roadmap for the promotion of the green hydrogen economy in Ecuador.

– Identify opportunities to develop a green hydrogen pilot project and formulate the guidelines for its development and authorization in Ecuador.

The Government of the President, Guillermo Lasso, has committed through the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to promote the decarbonization of the economy and adaptation to the effects of climate change, for which, It is essential to have the availability of a predominant potential of renewable energy sources.

Hydrogen (H ₂ ) is not a primary energy source, but a vector or carrier of energy. This means that H₂ can store and deliver energy in an easy and useful way, which is why the possibility of using it as an energy storage medium adequately complements the performance of renewable energy systems by allowing the stabilization of the temporal variability of sources such as solar and wind, especially in electrical generation applications.

The National Government, through the Ministry of Energy and Mines, works in a committed and transparent manner to promote alternatives that contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and face the effects of climate change.