Punta Arenas, May 11st, 2021. Unanimously, Magallanes Regional Environmental Commission approved this afternoon the Environmental Impact Statement (DIA) of Haru Oni project of Highly Innovative Fuels (HIF), which seeks to produce eFuels based on green hydrogen in southern Chile.
“This marks the kickoff for our project, which we know will be an essential contribution to the decarbonization of the planet, thanks to the production of clean fuels that will allow displacing CO2 emissions. We are working to start construction soon,” said HIF President César Norton.
The executive ratified the company’s commitment to Magallanes Region. “We want to continue advancing hand in hand with our neighbors, generating shared value for the communities. We hope that green hydrogen and green synthetic fuels will be a new boost for the area,” he added.
The Chilean Minister of Energy, Juan Carlos Jobet, stressed that “it is a historic day for Magallanes Region and for Chile. With the approval of the first project to produce green hydrogen on a large scale in our country, we are taking a very important step in the development of this industry.”
“As a country, we have the best strategic conditions to produce and export green hydrogen. And Magallanes is one of the privileged poles for them. Not only does it have excellent potential in wind energy, but it also has the necessary infrastructure and petrochemical experience to become an area of international prominence in the so-called fuel of the future,” he added.
Haru Oni is considering the construction of a plant for the production of eFuels, a 3.4 MW wind turbine, and a 13 kV backup transmission line.
The plant will be located on an area of approximately 3.7 hectares, within the Tehuel Aike property in Punta Arenas, while the project will occupy a total of 5.7 hectares. Construction is estimated to take eleven months and its useful life will be 25 years.
The process
The pilot will obtain green hydrogen from the water with wind energy, then it is combined with CO2 captured from the atmosphere and through a synthesis process, methanol will be produced. From this, carbon-neutral gasoline will be obtained that can be used in conventional vehicles without any modification.
It is expected to produce 350 tons per year of crude methanol and 130,000 liters of gasoline per year. Both fuels will be stored in tanks and transported by trucks to Puerto Mardones, about 35 kilometers from the project for export. In addition, it is projected to produce 16 tons per year of carbon-neutral liquefied gas starting in 2022.
In its construction phase, the project will generate work for an average 150 people.
HIF is a Chilean company, whose mission is to combat climate change through the substitution of petroleum products for carbon-neutral e-fuels. Initial production facilities will be located in Magallanes, Chile, with similar projects under development in the United States and Australia. For further details please visit www.hif.cl