Chile’s Colbún has inaugurated the country’s first industrial green hydrogen plant at a power generation facility located in the Nehuenco thermoelectric complex in Quillota, Valparaíso region.
The $1.6 million project operates independently of the national grid and uses PV energy to produce hydrogen for the generators’ cooling system, replacing gray hydrogen derived from fossil fuels.
The facility, announced in 2023, will include a 100 kW solar panel, battery storage, an electrolyzer and hydrogen storage tanks. It is part of Nehuenco’s modernization plan to improve efficiency, reduce water use and align operations with Chile’s broader energy transition.
Colbún said the plant can meet the energy needs of more than 570,000 households. Hydrogen has long been used to cool generators in thermoelectric power plants, but usually from fossil sources. The new system enables off-grid hydrogen production, powered entirely by renewable electricity.
The Nehuenco complex has an installed capacity of approximately 887 MW spread over three natural gas-fired units.
Colbún previously installed a similar green hydrogen plant in Peru at the Fénix Thermal Power Plant in January 2024, allowing it to completely replace the gray hydrogen used there.
This content is copyrighted and may not be reused. If you would like to collaborate with us and reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
Popular content
