Colombia 's National Council for Economic and Social Policy (CONPES) approved the National Hydrogen Policy, an intersectoral roadmap that will guide the sector's development until 2031. During the non-face-to-face session of the National Council for Economic and Social Policy (CONPES), the Minister of Mines and Energy, Edwin Palma, cast his vote in favor of the document.
The approved policy includes 60 coordinated actions among 27 state entities , with an indicative public investment of $86.424 billion . The Ministry of Mines and Energy led the technical formulation and will play a central role during its implementation.
The measure aims to transition from an ecosystem primarily based on pilot projects and announcements to an industry capable of achieving commercial scale. By 2026, Colombia has identified 49 hydrogen projects , of which 13 are technology validation experiments and 36 are larger-scale production developments.
Overall, the portfolio projects 21 GW of electrolysis capacity and approximately USD 45 billion in investments , although the initiatives are at varying stages of development. The challenge will be to transform that announced capacity into operational plants, supply contracts, and final investment decisions.
“Hydrogen represents a historic opportunity to diversify our energy mix,” said the Minister of Mines and Energy, Edwin Palma , after the strategy was approved.
The official emphasizes that this industry can " boost the reindustrialization of the country " and " generate new employment and investment opportunities ," primarily through the incorporation of renewable energies in sectors that struggle to reduce their emissions through direct electrification.
Although the policy encompasses various low-emission production pathways, green hydrogen is a priority due to Colombia's solar, wind, and hydroelectric potential. Its production through electrolysis would allow for the gradual replacement of fossil-based hydrogen currently used in refineries, fertilizers, and other industrial processes.
The roadmap also includes infrastructure planning for storage, transport, and distribution. This is crucial for connecting future renewable energy generation hubs with refineries, chemical plants, ports, airports, and consumption centers.
From pilots to the streets and refineries
The national strategy is based on a foundation of projects that already demonstrate concrete applications. In the area of mobility, the first hydrogen fuel cell bus operates within Bogotá's Integrated Public Transportation System , as a pilot project aimed at evaluating the performance of this technology in urban transport.
This initiative is complemented by the test developed by Ecopetrol and Toyota at the Cartagena Refinery , where the operation of hydrogen-powered vehicles is being studied under real operating conditions.
In the industrial sector, Ecopetrol is leading one of the most advanced developments with a 5 MW electrolysis plant in Cartagena . The facility represents a first step towards incorporating low-emission hydrogen into industrial processes that maintain a stable demand for this molecule.
Also noteworthy is Hevolución , in Antioquia, with a low-emission ammonia project for fertilizers that includes 2.3 MW of electrolysis . Empresas Públicas de Medellín, for its part, is developing an initiative at the Aguas Claras wastewater treatment plant.
In that scenario, TeraWatts By Z Holding Energy plans to develop 1,400 MW of renewable capacity in Colombia , distributed between two complexes that would integrate photovoltaic and wind power generation with the production of green hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel, methanol and ammonia.
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The portfolio would require an estimated investment of US$2 billion and would be geared toward large industrial consumers, shipping companies, and airlines. The company is preparing power purchase agreements to commercially support the developments.
The first complex would be located in Barrancabermeja, across from the Ecopetrol refinery . There, the company plans to install 400 MW of photovoltaic energy on a site covering approximately 600 hectares.
These cases show that the Colombian market could initially be built around existing industrial consumers. Refining, fertilizer manufacturing, methanol production, and sustainable aviation fuels offer opportunities to consolidate demand before moving toward large-scale exports.
A standard for ordering the market
Together with CONPES, the Government issued Resolution 0900 of 2026 , which establishes the first national threshold to formally recognize low-emission hydrogen.
The regulation sets a limit of 3.6 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram of hydrogen produced . This criterion will allow projects to be differentiated according to their emissions intensity and will provide a common technical reference for producers, buyers, and financiers.
The methodology seeks to strengthen environmental traceability, legal certainty and investor confidence , as well as prepare the country for future international requirements regarding certification and carbon content.
“ With this roadmap and a national standard for low-emission hydrogen, we are sending a clear signal to the world ,” says Palma.
Despite regulatory progress and the size of the portfolio, economic competitiveness remains the main challenge. Gray hydrogen maintains costs close to US$1 per kilogram , while low-emission alternatives range between US$1.8 and US$6 per kilogram , depending on electricity prices, technology, and infrastructure.
The new policy aims to reduce this gap through financing instruments, intersectoral planning, demand development, and technological strengthening. However, its impact will depend on whether public actions succeed in accelerating contracts, infrastructure development, and financial closings.
With projects in mobility, refineries, fertilizers, water treatment, and sustainable fuels, Colombia has already moved beyond the purely experimental stage . The next challenge will be to transform the 49 identified developments and the 21 GW announced into an industry capable of competitively producing green hydrogen with defined buyers.
The continuation of this policy will be in the hands of María Nohemí Arboleda , designated as the next Minister of Mines and Energy. The electrical engineer, with over 30 years of experience leading XM, will assume her post on August 7th with the challenge of transforming the approved roadmap into bankable projects, new industrial demand, and infrastructure for low-emission hydrogen.