Germany, Chile establish green hydrogen task force
The German and Chilean governments announced June 29 the creation of a joint task force to examine the use of hydrogen in the energy sector.
German economy minister Peter Altmaier said he signed a declaration of intent with Chilean energy minister Juan Carlos Jobet that creates a hydrogen task force, building on bilateral ties in the energy sector established first in 2019.
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Altmaier said that green hydrogen, which relies on an electrolyser to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, is an essential part of the energy transition pathway.
“In addition to production in Germany and Europe, we need international partnerships,” he said. “We therefore focus on strategic partnerships with countries in which green hydrogen and its derivatives can be generated efficiently and cost-effectively.”
Hydrogen is an evolving alternative in the energy sector. Addressing European energy security issues with US secretary of state Anthony Blinken on June 28, Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio echoed Altmaier’s sentiments on hydrogen.
Chilean ambitions on hydrogen as an energy source have drawn interest from potential importers in the European Union (EU), having recently signed an agreement with the EU which will provide €350,000 (US$414,000) to pay for feasibility studies into green hydrogen.
Last year, the Chilean minister said that his country traditionally lacked its own fossil fuels, leaving it dependent on foreign suppliers. But with the advent of hydrogen as an alternative, the country had new options that could decarbonise its economy at the same time.