Argentina has a significant opportunity to develop a competitive e-fuels industry by combining abundant renewable resources with a well-established agro-industrial sector that generates large volumes of biogenic CO2 from corn-based bioethanol production. These emissions can be captured and used as a sustainable carbon source, creating new value chains from existing industries and contributing to decarbonization.
Based on this, the Villa María New Energy project envisions the development of a plant in the Province of Córdoba, powered by wind and solar energy , to convert green hydrogen and locally sourced biogenic CO2 into e-methanol . The project includes a 200 MW electrolyzer, with an estimated annual production of 20,000 tons of renewable hydrogen and approximately 110,000 tons of green methanol destined for the chemical, maritime, and aviation sectors.
Through this public-private partnership of H2Uppp, eab New Energy and SEG Ingeniería will analyze the key conditions to advance the initiative, encompassing the availability of raw materials, the supply of renewable energy, plant configuration, logistics and export routes, production costs and regulatory, sustainability and market requirements.
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“SEG Ingeniería has been developing energy projects in Uruguay and the region for 30 years, with more than 280 MW of wind and solar projects awarded in Uruguay and Argentina. In Villa María, we are applying that experience to the questions that define whether an e-fuels project is bankable: the supply of biogenic CO2 and water, and the international offtake for green methanol and SAF. Doing so together with eab New Energy, with whom we built the largest private wind farm in Uruguay, and with the support of GIZ through the H2Uppp program, provides us with the data and credibility required at this early stage,” said Fernando Schaich , director and founder of SEG Ingeniería.
“For more than 30 years, eab New Energy has developed renewable energy projects for a wide range of applications. With the Villa María project, we are applying our expertise to the production of green hydrogen and green methanol, contributing to the decarbonization of aviation, shipping, and the chemical industry. To achieve this ambition, we are relying on our long-term and trusted partnership with SEG Ingeniería of Uruguay and joining forces with our globally recognized partner, GIZ,” said Alexander Kaiser , Project Manager at eab New Energy GmbH.
“This project is a concrete step towards positioning Argentina in the growing global e-fuels value chain. Through H2Uppp, GIZ is supporting eab New Energy and SEG Ingeniería in generating the necessary technical, economic, and regulatory information to mitigate risks at this early stage and enable informed investment decisions. It is a clear example of how public-private cooperation can accelerate the development of a green hydrogen industry with a real impact on decarbonization and local economic development,” said Javier Ortiz de Zúñiga, Director of the Energy Portfolio at GIZ Southern Cone.
By translating Argentina's renewable and agro-industrial potential into actionable technical and market information, the alliance will help accelerate the development of a competitive e-fuels industry and strengthen the country's participation in new low-carbon value chains.