The Ohmium International group, designer and manufacturer of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers, announces a collaboration with H2 Green Mining, a Chilean joint venture between Susterra and Star Energy Partners. This partnership aims to develop a green hydrogen project in Calama, in Chile’s Atacama Desert. The region, renowned for its high solar and wind energy potential, will host the project, which plans to harness these resources to produce around 100,000 tonnes ofgreen ammonia annually.
Technology and implementation
Ohmium’s PEM electrolyzers, renowned for their modularity and ability to adapt easily to renewable energy sources, will be at the heart of this project. They will be used to generate the hydrogen needed for copper smelting and other thermal processes in the mines. This technology also makes it possible to power mining trucks, thus contributing directly to the reduction of carbon emissions.
Environmental impact and government support
This pilot project, which could quickly be extended to 200 MW depending on results, is part of the Chilean government’s efforts to promote decarbonization of its mining industry. It also benefits from the support of Japanese and Indian government initiatives promoting the transition to clean energy.
Arne Ballantine, CEO of Ohmium, and Julio Bertrand, founding partner of Star Energy Partners and former CEO of CAP, Gasco and ENAP, both expressed their enthusiasm for this project, which marks a turning point in the adoption of green hydrogen as a vector for industrial decarbonization. They underlined the importance of this partnership in strengthening relations between Japan, India and Chile, while moving towards common goals of net zero emissions.
