Chile wants the development of green hydrogen to move beyond relying solely on export expectations and begin to consolidate based on local industrial demand . With this objective, the Production Development Corporation (Corfo) signed an agreement with eight major companies to expand the use of green hydrogen in specific production processes.
The companies involved are Colbún, Copec, Abastible, Arauco/Bioforest, Fosfoquim, Marval, Comasa H2V and Walmart Chile , all linked to initiatives that are already in pilot, execution or operation phases.
The goal is for those initial consumption levels to evolve into a more stable demand base and allow the formation of the future offtakers that the Chilean industry needs to sustain larger-scale projects.
“ Developing local demand and capabilities is not an alternative to exporting; it is the prerequisite that will allow that ambition to materialize ,” said Fernando Hentzschel, Technological Capabilities Manager at Corfo, during Hyvolution 2026.
The logic behind the agreement is to first move forward on concrete uses in logistics, transport, the chemical industry, fertilizers and sustainable fuels, in order to build experience, suppliers and technical capabilities within the country.
“ For Chile to be able to seize an opportunity to export renewable hydrogen and its derivatives in the future, we must first build productive and technical capabilities in the present ,” Hentzschel added.
The eight companies participate in instruments promoted by Corfo, including Technological Programs (PTEC) and Industrial Rings , aimed at incorporating renewable hydrogen as an energy input in real processes.
From the Sustainable Productive Development Program, Gonzalo Villanueva highlighted that the materialization of these projects can help create the local demand necessary for the pilots to later become recurring buyers.
This step is particularly relevant in an industry where large-scale production needs long-term contracts and consumers capable of absorbing sufficient volumes to sustain investments.
Walmart Chile, for example, plans to take the use of hydrogen beyond a one-off experiment.
“ What is behind this agreement is a strategy of scalability at a national level, not to stay in a distribution center, but to extend the use of hydrogen to the entire logistics operation nationwide ,” said Alejandro Rojas, the company’s asset management manager.
The executive added that this implies new plants, new consumption, and the transition from being pioneers in a pilot program to being official consumers of the fuel .
Abastible, for its part, is moving forward with the SynFuels project, while Copec seeks to participate in different energy vectors that can support the transformation of the industry.
For Juan José Altamirano, New Business Manager at Colbún, the public-private partnership will be one of the keys to accelerating an industry still in formation.
A hybrid truck demonstrates how to bring H2V to concrete uses
The strategy is also beginning to translate into physical solutions. During the same event, the first operational prototype of the Transdrive program was presented, aimed at developing cargo vehicles powered by renewable hydrogen and manufactured in Chile.
The project is based on a hybrid electric-hydrogen configuration. Starting with a basic electric vehicle, it incorporates a plug-and-play module with a fuel cell and H2 tanks.
According to Mariana Novoa, technical manager of the Mario Molina Center, this architecture allows the truck to operate both connected to the grid and using hydrogen.
The result is a significant leap in autonomy: from approximately 200 km per charge to about 600 km , enough, according to the project, to cover a round trip from Santiago to Valparaíso on a single charge.
The use of hydrogen also aims to reduce refueling times compared to conventional electric refueling.
“ With this hydrogen module, the vehicle is fully charged in five minutes ,” Novoa explained.
Transdrive's objective is not only to develop the vehicle, but to build around it a service chain that includes local hydrogen production, maintenance, technical support and after-sales service.
This approach aligns with Corfo's broader strategy: to first create capabilities and demand within Chile and then sustain a larger-scale industry .
The agreement with the eight companies aims precisely to accelerate that transition, moving from demonstration projects to permanent consumption capable of supporting new investments.
In that logic, the next phase of Chilean H2V will not depend solely on how many production projects are announced, but on how many industrial users are willing to incorporate it sustainably into their operations.