The deputy of Colorado Party (PC), Ope Pasquet, submitted a request for reports in the Parliament to demand details of the memorandum of understanding signed by the government and HIF Global for the construction of a plant green hydrogen in Paysandu.
In this way, controversy grows in the government after the principle of agreement that would imply the largest investment in the history of the Uruguay, since the government did not go down well with it and they assure that the request is not appropriate.
The undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining (MIEM), Walter Verri, who in a press conference also pointed out Wide Front and stated: “I think that unfortunately my friend and colleague Ope Pasquet forgets that the government changed and that we are not the same as what happened before. And I think we have shown it.”
“I understand it from a political point of view, it’s nice to say those things. Many times they echo the proclamations of environmental movements,” he indicated. Verri, who clarified: “There is still no business.”
The leader clarified that the memorandum “not binding” and that is why “there is nothing hidden in this situation”, while he anticipated that progress in negotiations would lead to a contract being signed only next year or in 2026.
Ope Pasquet does not want “secret signatures”.
When justifying his request for reports, Pasquet assured in his X account that “in Uruguay What should remain confidential, such as the investigations of the Prosecutor’s Office, for example, are leaked to the press and made public, but the contracts that bind the country for many years and a lot of money, which should be public, are negotiated in secret. ”.
Along these lines, the Colorado legislator pointed out that “sometimes they remain secrets after they are celebrated and executed and it should not be that way.” “That’s why I asked for reports from MIEM on the memorandum of understanding recently signed by the government and the company HIF Global”, he added.
When arguing his idea, he summarized: “Let it not happen to us as it happened to us. Montes del Plata, with UPM 2, with contracts between Ancap, Trafigura and Petrocuador and with Katoen Natie.”
“In these works the State puts money, the country grants tax exemptions and subsidies, indicated Pasquet, who stated: “These things are not for a week or 15 days, they are for years, for decades. “I think it is democratically necessary for us to know what obligations the government is going to undertake on behalf of everyone.”
The importance of the project
If the work is completed, it would imply an investment of 6,000 million dollars in the country, the largest amount in history in the private sector, in addition to positioning Uruguay as one of the leaders in renewable energy.
The construction stage would also entail the creation of 3,000 jobs and would favor decentralization, with its development in Paysandu.
However, the intention of HIF Global It was announced in mid-2023 and only last week progress was made on the memorandum of understanding, so negotiations to complete the work would not be closed until at least 2025.
Source: Ambito
