Multinational alternative fuels producer HIF Global on Friday submitted the environmental impact study (EIS) for an USD-830-million (EUR 784.6m) e-fuels project in southernmost Chile, aiming to secure approval to build a green-powered e-methanol production plant.
Per the filing, the Cabo Negro e-fuels project will involve building facilities for the production of up to 173,000 tonnes of e-methanol per year, which HIF Global would export directly as e-methanol or potentially convert it to e-gasoline and e-liquefied gas (e-LG).
To synthesise e-methanol, the company needs green hydrogen and captured CO2. It said that it will obtain the CO2 from three types of sources, which will either complement or back up each other: the conversion of biomass, direct air capture (DAC) and maritime imports of cryogenic CO2.
The Faro del Sur wind farm will power the electrolyser required to produce green hydrogen from demineralised water. The thermal energy released from the biomass conversion process will be harnessed and transformed into electricity to complement the supply from the wind farm, HIF Global said.
The Cabo Negro facilities will be located in the city of Punta Arenas, in the region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, at a site spanning around 57.97 hectares (143.2 acres).
About a year ago, HIF Global and its partner Enel Green Power Chile filed the EIS for the Faro del Sur wind farm project, but soon withdrew it after receiving a flurry of negative responses from regional permitting authorities.
The environmental permitting for the wind farm will be carried out separately from the e-methanol project. HIF Global said in the Cabo Negro filing that it intends to submit the EIS for Faro del Sur soon.
The new Faro del Sur wind farm is anticipated to have 384 MW of installed capacity, HIF Global added in a press statement on Friday. This will make it bigger by capacity than the heavily criticised 325-MW 65-turbine predecessor.
Cabo Negro is HIF’s second alternative fuels project in Chile, after the now operational Haru Oni pilot plant.
HIF Global President and CEO Cesar Norton said: “We are taking a substantial step towards making the hydrogen derivatives industry a reality in Chile: this will be the first commercial-scale plant for the production of carbon neutral eFuels at competitive costs. eFuels allow us to displace fossil fuels and contribute to the decarbonization of the planet. Our HIF Cabo Negro project leverages all the experience gained at our Haru Oni eFuels plant.”
Source : Renewables Now
