Posted on 01 Nov 2024
Uruguay has unveiled plans for its first green hydrogen plant, which will cost $38 million, Kallanish learns.
With operations slated to begin in 2026, the Kahirós project will be located in Fray Bentos, the capital city of the Río Negro Department in southwestern Uruguay.
The Kahirós project will comprise 8,000 solar panels, a 2-megawatt electrolyser to produce 36kg of hydrogen per hour, and a fuelling station for the trucks.
The hydrogen will be fed to six heavy-duty trucks used by the forestry group Montes del Plata, which operates a pulp mill. Other partners in the project include renewable energy company Ventus, fuel provider Fidocar and transport group Fraylog.
Spanish bank Santander Group will provide the financing.
In its first stage, Kahirós will produce 77 tonnes/year of green hydrogen and consume 7.2 gigawatts/year of energy, using 4,200 litres of water per day. According to government data, the project will save 870t in annual CO2 emissions.
Uruguay is betting on hydrogen to achieve its net zero goal and boost the domestic economy. The country plans to build 18 GW of renewable energy and 9 GW of electrolysers to produce 1mt/y of green hydrogen by 2040, generating $1.3 billion in exports.
Source:Kallanish
