“This is a unique model; it means Costa Rica has tremendous support and represents an opportunity to build capacity in the private and public sectors, along with State leadership, to explore a new energy source. We need to reduce the accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere, and this is one of the energy vectors with the greatest potential for the future. The idea is to generate knowledge for new generations and give them another tool to mitigate the effects of climate change,”
– Ronny Rodríguez, Deputy Minister of Energy of Costa Rica
Costa Rica has started assessing the feasibility of applying green hydrogen in sectors such as industry, agriculture, and heavy-duty transport. This work is part of the Costa Rica Green Hydrogen project, supported by the Mitigation Action Facility. With an electricity matrix powered almost entirely by renewable sources, Costa Rica is well positioned to unlock the potential of green hydrogen on its path toward carbon neutrality.
Innovation in Huetar Norte
According to Costa Rica’s Deputy Minister of Energy, Ronny Rodríguez, these conditions provide fertile ground to test green hydrogen in real business cases that could guide national policy. One opportunity gaining particular attention is the production of green ammonia in the Huetar Norte region, an economically disadvantaged rural area where a hydrogen hub could boost local economy.
This initiative goes beyond production and marketing. It foresees:
- A training institute on hydrogen-related topics, offering hands-on capacity development.
- An ISO certification institute for hydrogen, filling a current gap and supporting the growth of a hydrogen-based economy.
Developing capacity and leadership
Costa Rica began experimenting with hydrogen more than a decade ago and was once the first and only country in Latin America to produce and apply green hydrogen in the transport sector. While leadership has since shifted to countries such as Chile and Colombia, the Mitigation Action Facility project aims to strengthen Costa Rica’s decarbonisation path and help the country regain a leadership role in this field.
Currently, the project – implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH – is working to establish a partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to further support hydrogen projects in industry.