• The plant includes a solar farm, batteries, an electrolyzer, and storage tanks. It will replace gray hydrogen and thus reduce up to 15 tpy of CO₂ 

Colbún, the Chilean power generation and energy solutions company, inaugurated the first industrial green hydrogen (H2V) plant at a power plant in Chile in Nehuenco. 

Located in Quillota, the Nehuenco thermoelectric complex can supply the energy consumption of more than 570,000 homes. As a routine part of the cooling process for their generators, thermoelectric plants use hydrogen. In the case of Nehuenco, gray hydrogen was used until now, which generates polluting emissions because it is produced with fossil fuels. 

With this new H2V plant, which operates off-grid (i.e., not connected to the system), the cooling process will be carried out with green hydrogen, generated from photovoltaic energy. With an investment of US$1.6 million, this new facility in Nehuenco includes a solar farm with an installed capacity of 100 kW, batteries, an electrolyzer, and storage tanks.

This project marks a new step in Colbún's strategy to modernize and adapt the Nehuenco Complex—a facility that has been operating since the early 2000s—to provide the security and flexibility required by the electrical system to complement the intermittency of solar and wind renewable energy, ensure security of supply, and advance a responsible energy transition. 

Among the improvements made are the investment in a Reverse Osmosis Plant to reduce water consumption during periods of water shortage; a major maintenance program implemented at the complex to improve its efficiency and operational flexibility; and the recent approval of an Environmental Impact Statement, which will require an investment of nearly US$18 million to make its generating units more flexible, in addition to increasing installed capacity and achieving more efficient water use.

Regarding this, José Ignacio Escobar, CEO of Colbún , stated, “We are convinced that this type of technological development will continue to advance in the country. However, the true driving force behind the progress of new technologies lies in diversification, where the advantages of each complement each other. Sustainability must be environmental, social, and economic, and also generate value and opportunities for all.”

The executive also thanked those who were part of this milestone. “I want to thank the entire Colbún team, the people from Corfo who have supported us, the regional authorities, and especially the community of Quillota, who have always welcomed us with open arms. It is an honor for us to be in this region,” said Escobar.

Among the more than 100 attendees at the ceremony was José Orrego, Presidential Delegate of the province of Quillota , who highlighted that “this milestone of the first green hydrogen plant at a generation plant in Chile is very important in the policy of President Boric's government. Advancing renewable energy is a challenge; for example, it was recently announced that the city of Copiapó will be the first in the country to use only electric transportation, so these types of initiatives put us at the forefront worldwide in the use of renewable energy.”

For her part, Anastassia Ottone, Regional Secretary of Energy for the Valparaíso Region, commented that “this project not only represents a step forward in clean energy generation, but also symbolizes our country's ability to lead the green hydrogen revolution globally. With our Green Hydrogen Action Plan 2023-2030, we have outlined a roadmap that seeks to harmonize economic development with respect for the environment and communities.”

It is worth noting that in 2024, Colbún had implemented the installation of the first green hydrogen plant at a power plant in Peru, enabling the company to replace 100% of the gray hydrogen used at the Fenix ​​thermoelectric plant with green hydrogen.