Developer Total Eren has named engineering giant Wood to take on a ‘conceptual’ study of the H2 Magallanes port development, set to wire 10GW of wind turbines and 8GW of electrolysers together with desalination and ammonia plants in the Chilean port of San Gregorio.
Wood’s scope will encompass development of “a complete off-grid integrated energy complex” to generate green hydrogen and ammonia, as well as the port facilities need to ship e-fuel production on to international markets.
“This highly pioneering and innovative project represents the significant investment needed to realise not only the future of green hydrogen production but the potential of green ammonia, which is vital for ensuring sustainable food production, and an alternative clean fuel source in accelerating the energy transition,” said Thomas Grell, Wood Renewable Energy & Power president.
“This contract signals our continued growth in the region and our determination to realise the bold ambitions shared by both our client and Chile.”
The Wood work builds on a 2021 collaboration between Total Eren and the University of Magallanes (UMAG), with the aim of providing “precise environmental impact assessments and risk analysis” of H2 Magallanes, in line with environmental and social regulations defined by the Chilean authorities.
Total Eren – which is 30% owned by French oil giant TotalEnergies – has said previously expects the project to be in first production by 2027, generating 800,000 tonnes of green hydrogen and exporting 4.4 million tonnes of ammonia a year.
Along with Australia and the Middle East, South America’s available land and excellent renewable resources have made it a contender for massive green hydrogen projects due to kick-in in the second half of the decade.
Chile has set out its stall to be a leader in the energy transition, with an ambition to host 25GW of green hydrogen production capacity by the end of the decade.
