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Chile progresses with climate goals ahead of Cop 27

  • Market: Electricity, Emissions, Hydrogen
  • 26/10/22

Chile is pulling out all the stops to boost its climate profile ahead of the key UN conference, writes Emily Russell

Chile will head to the UN Cop 27 conference in Egypt next month at the forefront of Latin American efforts to address climate change. Leftist president Gabriel Boric has pledged to accelerate a "just" energy transition under an "ecological" government that includes climate considerations at the heart of decision making.

The government's decarbonisation plan seeks to double renewable power generation by 2030and turn Chile into a green hydrogen powerhouse. The country's green hydrogen strategy, launched under the administration of centre-right president Sebastian Pinera, who left office in March, will be showcased in Egypt, where Chile expects to sign financing agreements with the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank to boost the fledgling industry.

Chile's climate change law came into force in June, making it one of 18 countries to legally bind itself to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. It requires key government ministries to have climate and adaption plans, and for sectoral greenhouse gas emissions limits to be set, with sanctions for non-compliance. "The law will make a very important change to the entire state at the central level and then in all regions and municipal districts," environment minister Maisa Rojas says.

Chile published its long-term climate strategy in 2021. Current efforts are focused on adding 25-30GW of non-conventional renewable energy (NCRE) capacity — which excludes large-scale hydropower — to Chile's total generation capacity of 30GW by 2030 to speed up the closure of the country's coal-fired plants. A government bill would require 40pc of power generators' sales to come from NCRE by 2030, up from 20pc at present, and establish NCRE quotas at night to support long-duration storage systems such as concentrated solar power or pump storage.

NCRE already accounts for 35pc of the national generation mix. Another 3.73GW of solar and 712MW of wind farms are under construction. The challenge is to reduce delays to environmental permitting and ease transmission from the north to the densely populated centre of the country. Congress recently passed a law promoting investment in stand-alone energy storage, which will alleviate grid congestion. Separately, it also last month approved a solid biofuels law to tighten firewood and pellet standards to reduce pollution, mainly in the south.

In the transport sector, the government is adding 1,000 electric buses to Santiago's transport system, more than double the 800 in circulation, and promoting electric taxis. The national electric vehicle strategy, launched in October 2021, aims to end sales of most internal combustion vehicles in 2035, and all by 2045.

Taxing plan

Chile plans to create a carbon certification market next year and increase its low $5/t carbon tax to at least $35/t, as well as potentially expand other fossil fuel taxes. The creation of a national lithium company is also in the works.

Chile, along with Germany, will play a leading role at Cop 27 in talks aimed at obtaining agreements from richer nations to help developing countries fund restitution for extreme weather events, such as flooding and famine. The country will also present its plan for climate change adaption and methane gas reduction. Chile signed the global methane pledge at Cop 26 in Glasgow last year, committing to reducing global methane emissions by 30pc by 2030 from 2020 levels.


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05/05/25

Australia's Labor win may aid low-carbon Fe, Al sectors

Australia's Labor win may aid low-carbon Fe, Al sectors

Sydney, 5 May (Argus) — The Australian Labor party's victory in the country's 3 May parliamentary election could support low-carbon iron and aluminium developers, providing policy clarity and public capital to the sectors. Labor's victory provides more certainty around Australia's A$14bn ($9.06bn) green hydrogen subsidy scheme, which will help steel producers transition towards hydrogen-powered steel furnaces. The opposition Coalition during the election pledged to scrap the programme, which will allow producers to claim A$2/t of green hydrogen produced from 2027. Australian steelmaker NeoSmelt and South Korean steelmaker Posco are developing electric iron smelters in Western Australia (WA) that produce hot-briquetted iron, which is used in the green steel process. Both projects will initially rely on natural gas but may transition to hydrogen-based processing as hydrogen production rises. Australia's hydrogen tax credits may prove crucial given ongoing hydrogen production challenges. South Australia's state government closed its Office of Hydrogen Power SA on 2 May, following a funding cut earlier this year. Labor can now also move forward with plans for A$2bn in low-emissions aluminium production credits, beginning in 2028-29. Smelters will be able to claim credits per tonne of low-carbon aluminium produced, based on their Scope 2 emission reductions. The party's proposal does not include any blanket credit for producers. Labor's aluminium production credits are aimed at supporting the Australian government's goal of doubling the country's share of renewable power from about 40pc to 82pc by 2030. Australian producers export about 1.5mn t/yr of aluminium, according to industry body Australian Aluminium Council, from four smelters located around the country. Green iron funding Labor's election win also secures its A$1bn lower-emission iron support pledge , first announced in late February. Half of the fund will go towards restarting and transitioning the 1.2mn t/yr Whyalla steelworks in South Australia into a green steel plant. The other half will support new and existing green iron and steel projects to overcome initial funding barriers. Labor has not allocated any funding through the programme yet. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Australia’s election gives LNG, fuels sector certainty


05/05/25
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05/05/25

Australia’s election gives LNG, fuels sector certainty

Sydney, 5 May (Argus) — Australia's governing Labor party's second majority term could mean that changes to the offshore permitting regime promised last year are signed into law, while east coast LNG businesses will avoid a planned reservation system proposed by the opposition. Labor's victory at the 3 May election combined with the election of fewer members from the Greens party and climate-focused independents, could mean it faces less pressure to cancel fossil fuel projects. But it will remain reliant on the Greens to pass laws through the nation's upper house — the senate — meaning Labor may need to negotiate the passage of bills with the leftist party if the Liberal-National-based coalition opposes its measures. The Greens ran on a promise to ban new coal, oil and gas projects but won fewer seats than in 2022 because of preference flows. A federal decision on the lifetime extension of the Woodside Energy-operated 14.4mn t/yr North West Shelf (NWS) LNG delayed by Labor, is now looking more positive for the firm. The firm sees approval as vital to progressing its Browse gas development offshore northwestern Australia. Voters' rejection of the opposition Coalition on the nation's east coast means its policy to reserve a further 50-100PJ (1.34bn-2.68bn m³/yr) from the Gladstone-based LNG exporters will not proceed. The result provides an opportunity for certainty and stability for the energy sector, upstream lobby Australian Energy Producers said. The group urged the government to focus on new supply as Australia's gas reserves for domestic use rapidly deplete. The government will need to specify exactly how it aims to secure supplies to ensure stable supply, once coal-fired generators retire at the end of the 2020s and into the 2030s. This is because the nation's integrated system plan is based on Labor's policy of reaching 82pc renewable energy in the power grid, backed up by about 15GW of gas-fired power. Industry will await further direction stemming from the Future Gas Strategy which canvassed solutions to Australia's declining gas supply including new pipelines, storage and seasonal LNG imports. Permitting concerns In the government's previous three-year term, a series of court-ordered requirements to consult with affected Aboriginal groups briefly disrupted multi-billion dollar LNG developments. Labor promised to specify through new laws exactly which groups must be consulted before approvals could be granted. But these were dropped from the agenda in early 2024 following opposition by the Greens. Labor's resources minister Madeleine King blamed the Greens for obstructionist manoeuvres on this legislation, but it remains unclear if and when Labor might introduce such laws. Conversely, the Coalition promised to end government support for anti-gas lobbies such as law group the Environmental Defenders Office — set to continue under Labor. In liquid fuels, Labor's victory should boost Australia's electric vehicle (EV) sales, with emissions standards laws set to remain enforced. The Coalition had said it would soften the laws because of concern over cost of living pressures. Plans to temporarily cut the fuel excise will also not progress. Australia's EV take-up has stalled, and industry has blamed this on poor investment in recharging infrastructure and other policy settings, including the removal of the fringe benefits tax exemption for plug-in hybrid car models. A re-elected Labor government is likely to further policy towards a mandate for sustainable aviation fuel or renewable diesel, given the growing share of Australia's emissions projected to come from the transport industry. It pledged A$250mn ($162mn) for low-carbon liquid fuels development in March , for low-carbon liquid fuels development in March, as part of its commitment to the nascent sector. Local market participants are optimistic that further biofuels support will be provided as urgency to meet net zero ambitions builds, including a 2030 target of 43pc lower emissions based on 2005 levels. About A$6bn/yr of feedstocks like canola, tallow and used cooking oil are exported from Australia, while existing ethanol and biodiesel producers are running underutilised plants, making about 175mn litres/yr at present, because of poorly-enforced blending mandates. By Tom Major Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Australia re-elects renewable-focused Labor party


05/05/25
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05/05/25

Australia re-elects renewable-focused Labor party

Sydney, 5 May (Argus) — Australia's Labor party has been voted in for another term in a landslide majority, reaffirming the party's targets on renewable energy and emissions reduction. The election held on 3 May saw overwhelming support for the incumbent Labor government led by prime minister Anthony Albanese, which prioritised renewable energy, compared to the opposition's plans to install nuclear plants to replace coal-fired power . Labor now face pressure to meet key energy policy targets, including 82pc renewable energy in electricity grids by 2030 and a 43pc reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on 2005 levels by 2030. The government said late last year that Australia was on track to reduce emissions by 42.6pc by 2030 , nearly within the target and rising from previous estimates of 37pc in 2023 and 32pc in 2022. This was mostly because of the reformed safeguard mechanism , the expanded Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) and the fuel efficiency standards for new passenger and light commercial vehicles. Lobby groups now expect the government to set a strong 2035 emissions reduction target , within the range of 65-75pc below 2005 levels indicated last year by the Climate Change Authority (CCA). The CCA is yet to formally recommend a target, and the government will then need to make a decision and submit Australia's next Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement later this year. In metals, a plan to buy critical minerals from commercial projects and keep stockpiles to steady prices by withholding or releasing stock will now be pursued by the re-elected government. The previous Albanese government was not forthcoming in meeting calls for a biofuels mandate or production incentives but it announced it would allocate A$250mn ($162mn) of its A$1.7bn Future Made in Australia innovation fund to low-carbon fuels (LCLF) research and development in March. In agriculture, a planned ban on live sheep exports will go ahead by 1 May 2028 under laws passed last year. The coalition campaigned heavily to revoke the laws, but the re-election of Labor has raised concerns in the live export sector. By Grace Dudley Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Exxon sees 45V surviving, needs blue H2 offtake


02/05/25
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02/05/25

Exxon sees 45V surviving, needs blue H2 offtake

Houston, 2 May (Argus) — ExxonMobil chief executive officer Darren Woods expects low-carbon hydrogen production incentives to survive a White House review, but he wants more sales commitments before making a final investment decision on a company project in Baytown, Texas. "Our expectation is that things that we need to drive low-carbon hydrogen will probably stay in place," Woods said during the company's first-quarter earnings call Friday. "But we have to see that manifested." Woods has said that the 45V hydrogen production tax credit is "critical" to establishing a market for the zero-emissions fuel that can stand on its own and compete against fossil fuels. The company is developing what it describes as the largest low-carbon hydrogen plant in the world in Baytown, designed to produce 1bn cf/d of hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture. While the 45Q incentive is available for projects using carbon capture and sequestration to lower emissions, ExxonMobil has repeatedly indicated it is pursuing the more lucrative 45V for the massive hydrogen and ammonia production project planned on the Texas Gulf coast. In addition to certainty about federal incentives, Woods said the company also needs to secure more offtake agreements in order to make a final investment decision. "I'd say right now that's probably the long pole in the tent with respect to driving this," Woods said. "When those two things come together and we're confident that we have what we need to generate the returns that's going to be required to justify the investments, we'll move forward. Hopefully, that's later this year." Most of the project's production would be used to decarbonize operations at Exxon's 564,500 b/d Baytown refinery, while the remainder is being targeted for exports in the form of ammonia. In January, the company signed an agreement to sell ammonia to European trading firm Trammo. Japanese power producer Jera has said it is considering 500,000 t/yr of ammonia offtake as part of its plans to take an equity stake in the project. By Jasmina Kelemen Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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South Australia closes Hydrogen Power SA office


02/05/25
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02/05/25

South Australia closes Hydrogen Power SA office

Sydney, 2 May (Argus) — The state government of South Australia has rolled its Office of Hydrogen Power SA (OHPSA) into the Department of Energy and Mining (DEM), after scrapping plans for a 250MW electrolyser and 200MW hydrogen-fired power station. The OHPSA has been absorbed into the other state department, a spokesperson for SA energy minister Tom Koutsantonis said on 2 May. This comes after the state cut the A$593mn ($381mn) it had promised for its Hydrogen Jobs Plan in early 2025. The funds were reallocated to subsidise the 1.2mn t/yr Whyalla steelworks, which entered administration on 19 February . The associated Office of Northern Water Delivery, which was intended to support the green hydrogen sector in the state's upper Spencer Gulf region with new water pipeline supply, has also been incorporated within the DEM, Koutsantonis said on 1 May. SA's other major hydrogen hub planned at nearby Port Bonython was also overseen by the OHPSA. Development agreements with five companies have been signed for Port Bonython, including with London-based energy company Zero Petroleum for an e-SAF plant . SA is aiming to transition the ageing Whyalla steelworks to develop low emissions iron and steel products, but administrator KordaMentha is yet to finalise a buyer for Whyalla's controlling company OneSteel, which was formerly owned by UK-based GFG Alliance. By Tom Major Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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