How can public-private partnerships accelerate Chile's energy transition?

Public-private partnerships have been key in accelerating Chile’s energy transition, especially when it comes to the country’s green hydrogen market. Green hydrogen, a clean energy source that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity, sits at the heart of Chile’s energy transition.

How does Chile benefit from solar energy?

The country benefits from consistently strong winds in mountainous region of Patagonia and some of the world’s highest levels of solar radiation in the Atacama Desert. This predictable supply of wind and solar energy has led the Chilean government to estimate that 13% of the world’s green hydrogen will be produced within its borders.

Will Chile achieve net-zero emissions by 2050?

Last December, Chile’s centre-right government published the country’s first energy transition strategy, which provided targets for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, including accelerating solar, wind and geothermal energy across the country.

How has Chile accelerated its energy transition?

Despite its historic ties to fossil fuels and copper mining, Chile in recent years has accelerated its energy transition through broad-based political support, private-public partnerships and innovative green technologies.

Is there an alternative to solar energy in Chile?

Chile has begun to explore an alternative. Both Cerro Dominador and the Alba Project are powered by so-called solar salts, extracted from the Atacama Desert, composed of potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate. When melted and kept in a liquid state, they allow energy to be stored.

Why are solar panels important to Chile's green hydrogen industry?

Solar panels pictured in Chile's Atacama Desert are crucial to the country's green hydrogen industry. Chile has set an ambitious goal of converting 70% of its total energy consumption to renewables by 2030 and pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050.