The government of Uruguay has officially released its “Roadmap for Green Hydrogen and Derivatives,” outlining a comprehensive strategy to significantly boost the production of clean hydrogen (H2) and its derivative products.
Ambitious Target of 1 Million Metric Tons of Green Hydrogen by 2040
The ambitious roadmap sets a target of producing 1 million metric tons of renewable H2 annually by 2040.
To achieve this, Uruguay plans to install approximately 18 GW of renewable power capacity and 9 GW of electrolyzers.
This infrastructure will be instrumental in producing the vast quantities of hydrogen required to meet the country’s ambitious goals.
Three-Phase Development Strategy
The strategy is structured into three distinct phases:
Phase 1: Market Preparation and Pilot Projects (ongoing – 2025)
The initial phase, already underway, focuses on preparing the domestic market for green hydrogen and launching pilot projects to explore both production and utilization methods.
Phase 2: Scaling Up and Export (2026 – 2030)
The second phase will involve expanding the domestic hydrogen market and initiating the first export-scale projects. This phase will lay the groundwork for Uruguay to become a significant player in the global green hydrogen market.
Phase 3: Consolidation and Target Achievement (2030 – 2040)
The final phase will concentrate on consolidating the achievements of the previous phases and ensuring that the 2040 production target is met. This decade-long phase will refine and optimize all aspects of the green hydrogen value chain.
Intermediate Milestones
In addition to the three main phases, the roadmap sets intermediate milestones. By 2030, Uruguay aims to install 300 MW of electrolyzer capacity, which will be further scaled up to 3 GW by 2035.
Uruguay’s Strong Renewable Energy Foundation
Uruguay is well-positioned for this ambitious undertaking, as its power mix already consists of 91% renewables as of the end of 2022.
While this represents a slight decrease from the 98% achieved in 2019 due to exceptionally high hydropower production, it demonstrates the country’s strong commitment to renewable energy sources.