Hinicio advocates for port-led hydrogen growth in Latin America and the Caribbean

April 21, 2025, by Aida Čučuk

Hinicio, a Belgium-based consulting firm specializing in hydrogen and its derivatives, has outlined a series of recommendations aimed at supporting ports in Latin America and the Caribbean to play a central role in climate action and in advancing the hydrogen economy across the region.

At a hydrogen event in Colombia, Pilar Henríquez, Manager at Hinicio and Leader of the Sustainable Transport Area, explored the role of ports as hydrogen hubs and their potential to accelerate the decarbonization of multimodal logistics chains. As disclosed, Henríquez discussed the main challenges and opportunities ports are facing as they strive to position themselves as sustainable energy hubs.

It is understood that logistics and the movement of goods pose a major challenge in the fight against climate change, particularly due to the reliance on transport modes that are difficult to decarbonize. Currently, global maritime transport is said to emit over 700 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year, and according to Hinicio, emissions from maritime transport are projected to increase by 16% between 2018 and 2030, and by up to 50% by 2050, without decisive action.

In this context, and as hydrogen derivative export projects gain momentum, ports have the potential to play a key role as hydrogen hubs, Hinicio said, adding that they can become sustainable energy centers, driving the transition toward lower-carbon logistics chains. Reportedly, this includes supplying clean energy to various players in the logistics sector, enabling the decarbonization of ships, freight trucks, port equipment operations and personnel transport.

To advance the role of ports, specifically Latin America and the Caribbean ones, in energy transition, Hinicio recommended the following actions:

Establishing a long-term strategic vision with clear objectives, a well-defined roadmap and a strong commitment to climate action. Hinicio said that this vision should detail how the port plans to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions, while also enabling the energy transition to address Scope 3 emissions.
Aligning port strategies with regulatory frameworks and sectoral policies, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), alternative fuel roadmaps and international regulations, while also addressing the growing demand from clients committed to decarbonizing their logistics chains.
Fostering public-private partnerships to support early-stage pilot projects, such as retrofitting port logistics equipment.
Preparing for the supply of alternative fuels for the maritime industry by defining a clear position on the potential development of infrastructure for bunkering ammonia, methanol and other alternative fuels. The company stressed that in the short term (by 2030), highly regulated markets, such as the European market, present a strategic opportunity for the region, both due to the export potential of hydrogen and its derivatives, as well as the existence of regulations that impact greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from maritime transport on routes destined to Europe.

To note, in the last few years, the maritime and clean fuels industry has been slowly turning its focus to the Global South, including Latin America and the Caribbean. It is understood that by implementing the concept of green shipping corridors, countries in the Global South could be supplying much-needed green fuels to the developed countries of the Global North.

In this regard, the industry’s most recent activities include the signing of agreements between the European Commission, the European Investment Bank (EIB), KfW Development Bank (KfW), Corporación de Fomento de la Producción (CORFO) and the Chilean Ministry of Energy to support Chile’s renewable hydrogen industry via the Team Europe Renewable Hydrogen Funding Platform for Chile.

Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that Brazil and Norway decided to establish a green shipping corridor between the two countries. As informed, the objective of the collaboration is to create a maritime corridor for vessels that use advanced technology and low- or zero-carbon fuels and significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.