Chile is participating in the World Hydrogen Summit and Exhibition 2026, the world’s largest event dedicated to the development of hydrogen, held between May 19 and 21 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Mauricio Riveros, Energy Sector Lead at InvestChile, is part of our country’s delegation, made up of around 30 members, including authorities from the public, private and trade sectors.
Energy Undersecretary Hugo Briones, stated that “Chile reaffirms its commitment to the development of a globally competitive green hydrogen industry, promoting a sustained reduction in costs throughout its value chain, particularly in enabling technologies such as electrolyzers, based on our comparative advantages.”
“Green hydrogen is a key part of the energy transition we are promoting: it contributes to decarbonization, improves environmental quality in areas throughout the country and opens up new opportunities for productive development. So, as a government, we will continue to make progress on an enabling regulatory framework and in concrete instruments that will allow its deployment at scale,” he added.
Ana María Ruz of the Chilean Economic Development Agency (CORFO), stated, “WHS 2026 allows us to share our experience and understand the progress of other countries, the development of international markets and their impact on the competitiveness of Chile’s pioneering projects. The country maintains its ambition with pragmatism and realism, and Chile’s green hydrogen strategy is a state policy.”
Following five consecutive years participating at the summit, Chile has consolidated its position as an important stakeholder on the global energy scene, as a future producer of green hydrogen and its derivatives.
“From the beginning, InvestChile has been an articulator and facilitator of this nascent industry, which today represents a potential foreign investment of more than US$ 50 billion. These projects represent a concrete opportunity for the development of a national industry, with all its consequent benefits: the creation of tens of thousands of new jobs, the development of regions throughout Chile and the possibility of transforming our country into an energy exporter to the world’s main markets,” declared InvestChile’s Mauricio Riveros.
Osvaldo Marinao of ProChile stated that “WHS is the most important event to give visibility to Chile’s green hydrogen industry, and to facilitate its connection with the European and global ecosystem. It is vital to support not only large-scale developers, but also, and especially, Chilean companies that are potential providers of global solutions. This delegation demonstrates the public-private coordination and continuity that Chile has given to promoting this industry.”
The participation of the Chilean delegation in the World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition 2026 has the support and strategic coordination of the PIB The Green Energy Corridor Chile – Netherlands program, an initiative that has been key in consolidating Chile’s presence in Rotterdam.
Through its public-private cooperation platform and the companies that comprise it – led by the Port of Rotterdam –, the program has strengthened coordination between institutions, companies and strategic partners of both countries. This has facilitated access to high-level events, the preparation of technical agendas and the international projection of concrete green hydrogen projects.
Its role has been fundamental in transforming Chilean participation into a structured presence, with a focus on execution, strategic positioning and the development of real investment opportunities.
The newly-appointed president of the Asociación Chilena del Hidrógeno (Chilean Hydrogen Association), Aram Pedinian, representing HIF Global, said that “the growing momentum in demand for hydrogen and its derivatives in European markets, along with new regulatory frameworks and market creation mechanisms, is fundamental to enabling the financial closure of the first projects and strengthening the sustainable development of hydrogen and its derivatives in Chile.”
Marcos Kulka, Executive Director of H2 Chile, stated, «we value that Chile is once again attending the World Hydrogen Summit with a robust public-private delegation, showing a national vision and the commitment of our partners and allies to the development of this industry.”
“In a geopolitical scenario marked by energy volatility, hydrogen and its derivatives represent a strategic opportunity to advance in energy security, industrial development and the generation of clean energy produced in Chile. Furthermore, this event is key to continue strengthening our relationship with the Netherlands and Europe as strategic partners for the development of infrastructure, logistics and future markets for our exports, » he added.
Chile’s agenda in Rotterdam combines participation in international conferences, specialized technical events and high-level networking activities. Among the highlights is the Chile Side Event, entitled «From Vision to Reality: Unlocking The Netherlands – Chile Green Energy Corridor», where public and private stakeholders from both countries will discuss progress in regulation, financing, logistics and port infrastructure.
The delegation is also participating in the regional event «Powering Decarbonisation: Europe–Latin America Hydrogen Partnerships», which brings together representatives from governments, multilateral banks and industry from both continents to align supply, demand and renewable hydrogen infrastructure.
Additionally, a technical visit prior to the summit was made to the Province of Drenthe, recognized as one of the main hydrogen valleys in Europe and a benchmark in the practical implementation of the hydrogen economy.
Paula Galilea, Trade Advisor for Green Hydrogen at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Chile, stated that “energy diplomacy, focused on collaboration with other countries, remains essential for the energy transition. This is made even more evident by the shock to global energy markets resulting from the war in the Middle East. The energy crisis demonstrates the importance of decarbonization, diversification and reducing dependence on a few suppliers.”
The PIB The Green Energy Corridor Chile – Netherlands program is a public-private cooperation initiative promoted under the Partners for International Business scheme. It seeks to position Chile as a strategic partner for the export of green hydrogen to Europe, using Dutch ports as a gateway.
Its focus is on strengthening the hydrogen value chain through the development of shared infrastructure, port logistics, storage and the coordination of stakeholders, with special emphasis on hubs such as Magallanes and Mejillones, thus facilitating the creation of an energy corridor between both countries.
The program’s main partner companies are Arcadis, Impact Hydrogen, North Sea Port, Port Consultants Rotterdam, Port of Rotterdam, Proton Ventures, SoluForce and Vopak, configuring a key industrial and logistics ecosystem to enable this international green hydrogen corridor.
