Chile’s Colbún has started operations at a solar-powered green hydrogen unit at its Nehuenco thermoelectric complex, replacing fossil-based hydrogen used in generator cooling.

October 30, 2025 Luis Ini

Image: Colbún

From pv magazine LatAm

Chile’s Colbún has inaugurated the country’s first industrial green hydrogen plant at a power generation facility, located within the Nehuenco thermoelectric complex in Quillota, Valparaíso Region.

The $1.6 million project operates independently from the national grid and uses PV power to produce hydrogen for the cooling system of its generators, replacing gray hydrogen derived from fossil fuels.

The facility, announced in 2023, includes a 100 kW solar array, battery storage, an electrolyzer, and hydrogen storage tanks. It forms part of Nehuenco’s modernization plan to improve efficiency, cut water use, and align operations with Chile’s broader energy transition.

Colbún said the plant can supply the energy needs of more than 570,000 homes. Hydrogen has long been used for generator cooling in thermoelectric plants, but typically from fossil sources. The new system enables off-grid production of hydrogen entirely powered by renewable electricity.

The Nehuenco complex has an installed capacity of about 887 MW across three natural gas-fired units.

Colbún previously installed a similar green hydrogen plant in Peru at the Fénix Thermal Power Plant in January 2024, allowing full replacement of gray hydrogen used there.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/10/30/chile-commissions-pv-driven-hydrogen-plant/