February 14, International Energy Day

This February 14 marks World Energy Day, a key date to reflect on the role of the energy sector in the climate crisis. Why is it so relevant? Because the energy sector is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally. Power generation, based on fossil fuels, drives industries, transportation and everyday activities, but it is also the main contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

In the advancement of renewable energies and the development of solutions for the decarbonization of the energy matrix, direct electrification plays an important role, but it cannot be applied in all areas that need to be decarbonized. It is within this framework that green hydrogen, produced from the electrolysis of water using renewable energies, opens a window of opportunity to transform the energy matrix and significantly reduce emissions in sectors that are difficult to decarbonize (hard-to-abate sectors). These include the steel, cement, chemical and transportation (maritime and air) industries.

In this context, green hydrogen presents an opportunity to decarbonize sectors such as industry and transportation in Latin America and the Caribbean,

Transportation

The need to transport not only people but also goods is a fundamental pillar of a highly interconnected modern global society. There are currently different electrification solutions in the sector, mainly in urban mobility. However, the maritime and aviation areas continue to present challenges in terms of electrification. This is where green hydrogen and its derivatives play a key role. According to our strategic partners at the International Power-to-X Hub, these fuels are defined as synthetic because they are of non-biological origin, with their energy content coming from non-fossil hydrogen. Thus, green hydrogen enables the production of these fuels, allowing the continuous operation of maritime and air transport while significantly reducing their GHG emissions.

Industry

Industry is a major emitter of greenhouse gases due to its high energy consumption and intensive use of fossil fuels in processes such as manufacturing, cement and steel production, and the petrochemical industry. In addition, many industrial activities generate direct emissions to the atmosphere, either by burning fuels or by chemical reactions inherent to the production of materials used in the current context of the global economy. Green hydrogen in these processes is an alternative to produce compounds such as ammonia and methanol, which are necessary for the manufacture of various essential products in high demand as industrial fertilizers. In addition, green hydrogen has the potential to decarbonize the steel industry, a resource in high demand due to its wide range of technological applications, by replacing coal in furnaces with hydrogen produced from renewable sources, eliminating carbon dioxide emissions from furnaces.