In the country of the Colombian municipality of Manizales, two very powerful energies coexist: green hydrogen and geothermal energy.. Currently, both are attracting attention because they represent a clean and sustainable energy production model, with good economic utility for the companies that carry out their extraction. In Caldas they are making efforts to decarbonize factories by generating hydrogen and geothermal energy.
The Nereids Valley: geothermal production area
The Nereids Valley is home to the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, making it a region suitable for surface energy generation, taking advantage of the high temperatures emanating from the volcanic subsurface.
The Caldas hydroelectric power station (Cake) is responsible for conducting geothermal exploration and production in the area. It is the only company that has a high-enthalpy geothermal project in Colombia.
Chec is in the phase of drilling test wells to study underground deposits. Especially if they can generate enough water to set up a power plant. Your project goals reduce 250,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually, with a capacity between 5 and 25 megawatts for a first generation factory in Nereidas.
Once the infrastructure is completed, this energy source would be used for thermal baths, home heating, cooling equipment, food drying and greenhouses. But this could happen hand in hand with another energy source: green hydrogen.
Green hydrogen in the Caldas volcanic area
Chec’s exploration not only found a geothermal source, but also found green hydrogen in the volcano. The company Hybri Power System Group (HPSG) is responsible for its extraction, which will carry out the exploration and extraction of green hydrogen.
She was selected by the Fund for Non-Conventional Energy and Energy Efficiency (Fenoge) to provide the resources to implement the pilot extraction plan.
«The project would be financed with Fenoge and the company’s purchases of hydrogen (…). Once they see that it is functional, it will be delivered through national pipelines where gas pipelines are active,” he said. Fernando CardonaCEO of HPSG Colombia.
The company plans to build a solar park on 6 hectares to generate hydrogen.”separating the water molecule”. According to Cardona, this energy is “can be applied for mobility, heating, cooking and transport”.
Moreover, thanks to the vector nature of hydrogen, it could replace any energy medium. Although the CEO didn’t mention the cost, we know it won’t be cheap as it is one of the most expensive hydrogens produced and sold worldwide.
Benefits of hydrogen and geothermal energy
Besides the costs, geothermal energy and green hydrogen provide energy security for the country. By using both, Colombia would not be dependent on a single source: thermoelectric or hydroelectric energy, which would in principle expand the production field in the region..
Another benefit that the majority of the population strives for is that Both sources would reduce pollutant emissions by a large percentage margin.. The municipality of Manizales and the department of Caldas would be the most important region for the development of renewable resources with a beneficial impact on the area.
Experts have pointed out that the Caldas volcanic area “It is an energetic treasure that is already being explored”. They are trying to understand it and make the best of it with the right technologies, to generate electrical energy for the Chaldeans and then supply the country with sufficient electrical energy.