With the start-up of a 50 kilowatt PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolyzer and 270 solar panels at the Cartagena Refinery, the Ecopetrol Group began its first pilot project for the production of green hydrogen in Colombia.
The pilot, which will run for the next three months, uses industrial water from the refinery to produce 20 kg of high purity (99.999%) green hydrogen daily. This test will allow gathering information on the operation, maintenance, reliability and scalability of the technologies used. At the end of the pilot at the refinery, other tests will continue with other Ecopetrol Group operations.
The main objective of the pilot is to evaluate the technical and environmental feasibility, as well as the performance of green hydrogen generation at the Cartagena Refinery. It will also serve to determine the impact on the use of inputs such as water and electrical power. The green hydrogen produced in the pilot will be used to improve the quality of the fuels produced at the refinery, for which gray hydrogen is currently used.
The Ecopetrol Group is moving forward with the acquisition of two electrolytic hydrogen generation systems with refueling stations for bus and vehicle mobility applications. These initiatives are expected to be in place by early 2023.
