Panama boosts Green Hydrogen economy with European Union support

The action Human Capital Development around the Green Hydrogen Economy and its Derivatives in Panama, jointly promoted by the European Union, through the Euroclima Program and within the framework of the Global Gateway strategy, and the Government of Panama, through the National Energy Secretariat (SNE), has taken a decisive step with the mission of the National Hydrogen Center of Spain to offer specialized training workshops to different Panamanian institutions of the public sector.

The objective of this action is to support the SNE in the implementation of the National Strategy for Green Hydrogen and Derivatives (ENHIVE), which seeks to position Panama within the global route of green hydrogen and its derivatives, taking advantage of the privileged geographical location and infrastructure of the country. This strategy has set the goal of producing 500,000 tons of hydrogen in the country by 2030.

Specifically, the collaboration of the National Hydrogen Center of Spain, which already provided basic virtual training last May, is focused on the development of a draft regulatory framework for green hydrogen and its derivatives in Panama. For this purpose, training sessions have been developed for more than a hundred officials from different key institutional actors in the development of the action; which will also serve for more advanced learning in terms of market, safety and applications of green hydrogen in the naval and railway sector.

These stakeholders include the SNE, the Ministry of the Environment, the Panama Canal Authority, the Panama Maritime Port Authority, the Center for Innovation, Research and Hydro-environmental Technology, the Ministries of the Presidency and Commerce and Industry, the Fire Department, the Technological University of Panama (UTP) and the Specialized Higher Technical Institute (ITSE).

The Ambassador of the European Union in Panama, Izabela Matusz, has assured that “with this action that we presented last November and that now accelerates its implementation, the European Union expands its collaboration with the climate policies of the Government of Panama. This collaboration is particularly intense in the field of energy transition, the process of replacing fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emitters with renewable and non-carbon emitting energy sources”.

For her part, Rosilena Lindo, National Secretary of Energy, stated that “Panama has enormous potential to become a leader in clean energy and green hydrogen, becoming a fundamental part of the global supply chain for all economies. And to take advantage of this new market and become a hydrogen country, the development of technical, institutional and financial capabilities, both in the field of climate action and in the field of economics and technology”.

This European Union action in Panama is implemented through the European agencies Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas (FIIAPP) and the German Cooperation for Sustainable Development (GIZ).

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