Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy has initiated a national call for pilot projects testing low-emission hydrogen applications across mobility, industry, and electricity generation sectors. The initiative aims to generate technical evidence supporting regulatory frameworks and public policy to accelerate Colombia’s transition to a low-carbon energy future by 2030 and beyond.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy opened a 20-day public call inviting researchers, private and public companies, social organizations, innovation centers, and specialized workshops to submit proposals for pilot projects that demonstrate the viability of low-emission hydrogen in real operational settings. Six strategic fronts structure the call: sustainable mobility solutions including taxis, buses, heavy cargo transport, as well as maritime, fluvial and aerial transport; domestic use in cooking and heating; industrial processes with high energy demand; electricity generation targeting non-interconnected zones with cost-effective alternatives; production technologies including various electrolyzer types and derivatives; and infrastructure development for hydrogen transport, storage, and refueling stations (hydrogeneras). These pilots are intended to convert innovation into concrete technical evidence, guiding regulatory decisions and facilitating the scale-up of hydrogen as a key energy vector.
Colombia’s national hydrogen roadmap aligns with such initiatives, targeting between 1 and 3 GW of electrolyzer capacity by 2030, leveraging renewable resources primarily in regions like La Guajira. The nascent industry anticipates achieving 120,000 tons of low-emission hydrogen production by 2030, scaling to 1.8 million tons by 2050, positioning Colombia as a regional hub and potential exporter. The government supports this through enabling policies such as Law 2099 of 2021, offering tax incentives, and ongoing regulatory efforts, including draft resolutions on hydrogen geologic resources.
Notable operational projects include Promigas’s pilot blending green hydrogen with natural gas in Cartagena and Ecopetrol-Reficar’s 50 kW proton exchange membrane electrolyzer powered by solar energy. The establishment of a technical basis from these pilots will underpin future investments and regulatory frameworks, fostering an emerging hydrogen economy to reduce fossil fuel dependence and meet international climate commitments. The government emphasizes social participation and innovation for a just energy transition under President Gustavo Petro’s administration.
