Developing strategies for the involvement of local and indigenous communities in industrial H₂/PtX projects, drawing on an e-methanol project in uruguay and an ammonia project in Colombia.
The transition to clean energy requires more than technology and investment. It depends on trust, collaboration, and the ability to create lasting benefits for local communities. In Colombia and Uruguay, a new partnership is helping lay that foundation.
Through the International Hydrogen Ramp-up Programme (H2Uppp), GIZ, ENERTRAG and Colibri Energy are working together to accelerate the responsible development of green hydrogen and Power-to-X (PtX) projects. Their shared goal is to reduce early-stage project risks while ensuring that environmental, social and economic considerations are integrated from the start. The initiative supports two large-scale projects with the potential to strengthen Latin America’s role in the global energy transition.
We hope this represents another important step in the development of the green hydrogen industry in Colombia and across Latin America. In particular, we believe it offers a valuable opportunity to demonstrate how programmes such as H2Uppp can help pioneer innovative partnership models with indigenous and local communities, fostering the region’s economic and social development while contributing to decarbonisation and long-term sustainability.”
Manuel Schulte, CEO de Colibrí Energy
In La Guajira, Colombia, plans are underway for a green hydrogen hub capable of producing around one million tonnes of green ammonia annually. Beyond its industrial potential, the project seeks to establish meaningful and structured engagement with Indigenous communities, creating opportunities for participation, dialogue and shared value creation.
More than 5,000 kilometres away in Uruguay, the Tambor Project is advancing the country’s ambitions to become a regional leader in synthetic fuels. Powered by abundant wind and solar resources, the project aims to produce approximately 84,000 tonnes of e-methanol each year. As the project progresses through environmental permitting, community outreach and knowledge-sharing activities are helping ensure local voices are part of the development process.
By supporting technical studies, environmental assessments, infrastructure planning and community engagement, H2Uppp is helping transform ambitious ideas into viable projects. The programme also promotes technology transfer and knowledge exchange, generating lessons that can inform future hydrogen developments across the region.
H2Uppp builds the partnerships needed to turn hydrogen ambitions into viable projects – strengthening local capacities, enabling investment and creating lasting economic opportunities.
Regine Dietz, H2Uppp Programme Director
The impact extends beyond individual projects. By strengthening local capacities, fostering international cooperation and creating conditions for future investment, the partnership is helping build an emerging green hydrogen ecosystem in Latin America – one that can contribute to economic development, job creation and global decarbonisation. For communities, governments and industry alike, these efforts represent an important step towards ensuring that the energy transition delivers not only cleaner energy, but also sustainable opportunities for future generations.
About H2Uppp
The International Hydrogen Ramp-up Programme (H2Uppp) is supporting entrepreneurial engagement in the ramping-up of hydrogen in the Global South and is a funding programme of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and is implemented by GIZ.
