Bringing Green Hydrogen To The Most Demanding Engines On The Market
Changing fossil fuel consumption is not easy, but technological innovation that can make a real difference is emerging into the mainstream. Mindful of the urgency to decarbonize the global economy and leaving a cleaner carbon footprint for future generations, Siemens Energy invests in green energy projects such The Haru Oni project, located in Chile.
Green hydrogen is one of the critical future technologies, but despite dominating recent headlines, it has been in development for years. For a fuel to be a sustainable alternative, its production must not generate more polluting gases than fossil fuels, and must not depend on non-renewable energy sources. The Haru Oni project led by the Chilean company Highly Innovative Fuels (HIF), in which Siemens Energy acts as a key participant, is helping to ensure hydrogen fuel meets these criteria with the use of wind energy.
Bringing green power to Porsche
According to a study conducted by the Chilean Ministry of Energy, Magallanes, the southernmost region of Chile can become the producer of around 13% of the planet’s green hydrogen. Thanks to the strong winds in Magallanes, the Haru Oni project will produce initially around 750,000 liters of e-Methanol in 2022. Aligned with the goals of the upcoming COP26 (the Climate Change Conference of the United Nations), the plan is to achieve more than 550 million liters of eco-friendly fuel per year by 2026.
Porsche, the iconic car manufacturer, will be the primary customer for this green fuel. With the support of the German company, it is possible to identify the type of ecological fuel required by the most demanding engines on the market.
Unprecedented synergy
According to recent statistics from the World Health Organization, around 4.2 million people worldwide die annually from causes related to exposure to contamination and polluted air.
The Haru Oni project hopes to address this problem directly through partnerships with leaders in the energy sector and automotive industry. This is the first green hydrogen-based e-Fuel project in Latin America and construction started in Chile’s Magallanes region in September 2021.
The idea for the project arose from an unprecedented synergy between the public and private sectors in Chile and Germany, with the support of the Ministries of Energy of both countries, and under the technological and engineering leadership of Siemens Energy.
Hydrogen is key to achieving a successful energy transformation in all sectors. We have set as an objective in our National Hydrogen Strategy to seize the opportunities of hydrogen for the environment, energy production, and the economy
Peter Altmaier, German Minister of Economy.
Understanding Green Hydrogen
While unknown to many, green hydrogen has been used for decades as an alternative to more polluting fuel sources. As the lightest elements in the periodic table, its functionality is so effective that it has been used to fuel NASA spacecraft on several explorations outside the Earth. What’s more, the first combustion engine in human history ran on hydrogen.
When hydrogen is introduced to oxygen, the subsequent reaction generates heat and energy, which is captured and used as electricity. The essential advantage of using hydrogen vs. fossil fuel counterparts such as petrol or coal is that combustion releases water vapor instead of toxic gases.