It Takes Two to Green Hydrogen

The home of the tango will soon become a main supplier of green hydrogen to the world. Argentina is flush with the natural resources for carbon neutral hydrogen production, but decades of economic difficulties mean Argentina needs a partner to take center stage. The European Union will be that partner.

Arroyo Aqua Negra, in Argentina’s San Juan province. This is one of Argentina’s many rivers flowing from the Andes Mountains toward the Atlantic Ocean. Photo credit: Wikimedia user EagLau (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Standing on a plain in Patagonia—Argentina’s vast southern region—you would feel the renewable energy. Treeless expanse and air descending the Andes’ western slope makes Patagonia’s wind famously strong and consistent. Combine that with many rivers, and Argentina is a prime candidate for producing green hydrogen. The country has both the water and the abundant green energy needed to produce hydrogen by electrolysis. That’s great for the European Union, which is eager to expand green hydrogen supply.

For Argentina, this partnership is an economic lifeline. The Argentinians have watched hedge funds refuse to let their country restructure its debt, and witnessed a presidential candidate bring a real chainsaw to a campaign speech to illustrate what he planned to do to government spending. Becoming a center for green hydrogen production, with the jobs and increased trade that entails, looks like a first solid handhold with which to climb.