Latin America's Renewable Energy Boom: A Look Into the Future
Key Ideas
- Utility-scale renewable energy developers in Latin America and the Caribbean are set to embark on 447 projects with a total capacity of nearly 150GW in the next five years.
- Investment in solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and green hydrogen initiatives is estimated to reach US$194bn, excluding hydroelectric plants.
- Chile's H2 Magallanes wind, desalination, and green hydrogen project leads in capex at US$16bn, followed by other major projects in Peru, Chile, and Argentina.
- Brazil hosts the largest number of projects among Latin American countries, followed by Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru.
Utility-scale renewable energy developers in Latin America and the Caribbean are gearing up to commence construction on an impressive 447 projects with a combined capacity of almost 150GW within the next five years. These projects, which span solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and green hydrogen initiatives, are projected to attract a substantial investment of US$194bn, excluding hydroelectric plants. The timeline for these developments reveals that 290 projects with 64.1GW are expected to enter the construction phase in the current year, with subsequent years seeing further project commencements, totaling 171 projects in 2026, 58 in 2027, six in 2028, 22 in 2029, and two in 2030.
Leading the pack in terms of capital expenditure is Chile's H2 Magallanes wind, desalination, and green hydrogen project with an estimated cost of US$16bn. This is followed by the Horizonte de Verano solar and hydrogen complex in Peru valued at US$12.8bn, and the HNH Energy hydrogen and wind initiative in Chile costing US$11bn. Other notable projects include the Pampas green hydrogen, wind, and solar project in Argentina, the Gente Grande wind and green hydrogen development in Chile, and the Llaquedona green hydrogen and wind complex in Chile, among others.
The dynamics of renewable energy projects in the region are diverse, with a focus on different sources and technologies. Brazil stands out as the country with the highest number of projects at 5,659, followed by Chile with 1,120, Colombia with 255, Mexico with 166, and Peru with 91 projects. The article also mentions key companies involved in these initiatives like Pacto Geração e Transmissão, Omega Desenvolvimento de Energia, and SRE Participações. This surge in renewable energy projects signals a positive and promising shift towards a greener and more sustainable energy landscape in Latin America.