SENER Publishes Hydrogen Guidelines

SENER published guidelines on hydrogen, an industry pending development in the country. According to the Mexican Association of Green Hydrogen (AMH2), the green hydrogen sector has the capacity to create up to 3.2 million jobs in Mexico and attract investments totaling up to US$60 billion. Yet, despite Mexico's considerable potential to establish a green hydrogen economy, creating fresh employment prospects, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, and aiding in the country's pursuit of climate objectives, experts argue that the nation faces a deficiency in infrastructure for extensive green hydrogen production, especially in the realm of renewable energy.

The guidelines are centered around 11 key points:

1. State Priorities: Establish Mexico's priorities for the adoption and deployment of hydrogen, its derivatives, and processes as energy sources in productive sectors. This includes creating a long-term national vision and a subsequent roadmap for a national low-emission hydrogen strategy.

2. Cultural Implementation: Foster a culture of hydrogen generation, use, and consumption in the national energy, industrial, storage, and mobility sectors. This aims to contribute to sustainable development, economic growth, technological advancement, energy sovereignty, and social benefits.

3. Production Promotion: Promote all types of hydrogen production, favoring those with a lower carbon footprint and the use of renewable energies. This initiative aims to decarbonize the energy and industrial sectors and significantly reduce emissions in mobility.

4. Industry Coordination: Create conditions for the development of a national hydrogen industry that is socially and environmentally coherent. The State will play a primary role in coordinating and driving the industry, identifying and resolving barriers, and reducing uncertainties.

5. Educational Cooperation: Encourage cooperation from basic education to universities, public research centers, industry, and government for human resource development and the transfer of knowledge and innovation. This effort aims to produce national technology, products, and patents in the hydrogen value chain.

6. Regulatory Framework: Develop a regulatory and normative framework for the production, commercialization, and export of hydrogen and its derivatives. This will consider government, industrial, academic, and social options, establishing mechanisms for Mexico to become a leader in certified hydrogen production.

7. Strategic Coordination: Through the Undersecretariat of Energy Planning and Transition, SENER will coordinate strategies to accelerate the development of hydrogen and its derivatives.

8. Financial Foundations: Establish the necessary financial, economic, and technological foundations to produce low-emission hydrogen in Mexico at a competitive international price.

9. Self-Sustainability: Create conditions for the self-sustainability of hydrogen consumption and use. Productive hydrogen projects in Mexico should meet an agreed percentage of national technology, labor, consumables, and production resources.

10. Infrastructure Development: Identify existing and develop new infrastructure for integrating hydrogen and its derivatives into the national energy, industrial, and mobility matrix.

11. Financial Alliances: Form alliances with development financial institutions to provide funding for low-emission hydrogen projects.