Anglo American’s Chilean subsidiary is planning to spearhead the development of a green hydrogen corridor in central Chile, focusing on innovation and new technologies aimed at accelerating the country’s decarbonization and transforming its mining industry.
The proposed corridor will involve the construction of facilities in the Metropolitan and Valparaíso regions, which are home to the country’s capital and necessary ports for foreign shipments, respectively. Marcela Bocchetto, Manager of Climate Change and Biodiversity at Anglo American Chile noted that nearly a third of transportation emissions are concentrated in the central zone where the installations will be built.
The company has called on public and private actors to participate in a study analyzing the green hydrogen initiative’s economic feasibility and potential benefits. A four-month first-stage study will be conducted with the support of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile’s hydrogen technology unit and international firms such as First Mode.
Anglo American’s team is confident that the project will pave the way for public policies that promote a green hydrogen industry that could eventually surpass copper as Chile’s biggest export product. The mining ministry estimates that investments in green hydrogen in Chile will surge from a projected $45bn in 2030 to $330bn by 2050, with over 70 projects currently under study or development in the country.
