The National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) in Colombia has recently announced its plans to expand its focus beyond oil and natural gas and explore the potential of non-conventional renewable energy sources. ANH is now preparing to measure the potential of white hydrogen in Colombia, a clean and renewable form of hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water using renewable energy sources.
During the 2nd International Hydrogen Congress, Carlos Rey, the Technical Vice President of ANH, stated that the agency is making plans to explore the potential of white hydrogen and support the Ministry of Mines and Energy in regulation and geological knowledge. Rey added that ANH needs to begin investigations to know where the potential of white hydrogen is, as Colombia currently does not have a clear estimate of what resources it has.
ANH is also working on a project to invest 640,000 million pesos in energy transition projects by 2026, with approximately 170,000 million pesos allocated to identify and evaluate the potential of white hydrogen in Colombia. The agency hopes to have an estimate of the potential of white hydrogen in Colombia in the short term.
These plans align with the proposal of the Minister of Mines and Energy, Irene Vélez, to replace the hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation industry with that white hydrogen, which can be found in the same areas where there is a presence of oil today. The minister also mentioned that blue and white hydrogen are the only colours that interest the Government, “grey not so much because we believe we can bet on as green as possible.”
ANH’s strategy is focused on generating knowledge, which will materialize with the entry of new companies in Colombia for the exploration and exploitation of hydrogen and geothermal resources. The agency believes that it can optimize the existing oil and gas infrastructure and “hydrocarbon residues” for the production of blue hydrogen.
