One of the projects of green hydrogen that generates the greatest expectation in the energy sector is that of HIF Global, the one that was established as the largest investment in the Uruguay with a total of 6,000 million dollars that would enter the country; However, the initiative has generated some controversy within the environmental field, above all, with claims from the mayor of Paysandu.
In the middle of an election year, progress on long-term projects seems to take a backseat due to the political uncertainty generated in the country. However, the hope that HIF Global officially disembarking in the Uruguay It is getting stronger, as confirmed Marcelo Mulapresident of the Uruguayan Renewable Energy Association (AUDER), in dialogue with Ambit.
“They are waiting to advance their business model and have been working on finding buyers,” explained Mula regarding the company’s search for those investors who would buy the fuel that would be manufactured in the Uruguay.
Regarding that, the president of AUDER assured that they spoke with the general manager of HIF, Clara Bowmanduring the World Energy Congress which took place in the city of Rotterdam, in Netherlands, in mid-April. There, the manager assured that the progress of the project is coming at a steady pace.
“He confirmed to us that the project is going well and firm, but that they have to wait for progress to be made, above all, in identifying the buyers of the fuel that will be manufactured in the Uruguay”, he commented. In that sense, Mula highlighted that the country must be ready to receive investments and with current regulations. “Let them know that Uruguay is almost ready to start producing,” he remarked.
Waiting for Environment approval
At the end of May the mayor of Paysandu assured that the construction of the plant HIF Global is far from being approved by the Ministry of Environment. However, in line with the intentions of the energy sector, they were willing to comply with all necessary regulations.
The general secretary of the Municipality of Paysandú, Fermín Farinha, He stressed at the time that it is necessary to comply with several instances, as established by law 18,308. The leader recognized that it is a great investment for Uruguay and added that all parties are involved in complying with the obligations imposed by law.
For the construction of the plant to be approved, according to Farinha, it is necessary to modify the Territorial Plan, that is, the construction and operation of an eFuels chemical plant for the production of methanol (CH3OH) and synthetic gasoline (eGasoline). However, he commented that some bureaucratic progress has already begun to begin the modification.
Even with slow progress and regulations that still need to be rethought, Uruguay It is still waiting for one of the largest investments in its history to materialize in the midst of a political context that puts projects of this magnitude on the back burner.
Source: Ambito
