The Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining of Uruguay, Omar Paganini, spoke at the  Hydrogen Americas Summit with Latinamerica Focus, explaining that Uruguay is interested in producing green hydrogen as a ‘natural result’ of its energy matrix, based heavily on renewable energies and with the capacity to increase its potential. Paganini explained which actions are being outlined to enhance the production of green hydrogen, with the support of the IDB and consultancies, while strengthening local capacities in the matter through different programs that take advantage of their strengths as a country.

“There is no doubt that hydrogen will play a very important role in global decarbonisation, and Latin America has the opportunity to join,”  Minister Paganini remarked.

Today the Uruguayan energy matrix is ​​63% renewable and 37% fossil, unlike what happened at the beginning of the century, when it had fulfilled its possibilities in terms of the use of hydroelectric energy on a medium and large scale. The country, which had become dependent on this source of electricity, which is highly variable year-on-year, had to import electricity in years with low rainfall. At that time, the Uruguayan energy matrix had few sources, and there was a strong dependence on imported fossil fuels, which represented 63% of the energy matrix.

Instead, today, said Paganini, Uruguay has a new role in the region, by ceasing being an energy importer and becoming a net exporter. ‘Since 2013 Uruguay has maintained this condition, without interruptions,’ he explained. In 2019 our country exported 3 TWh to Brazil and Argentina, with an average price of 28.7 USD / MWh. In 2020, the figure was 1 TWh.