The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, is on an official visit to Germany with the main objective of signing an agreement for the generation of green hydrogen in his country. During his visit, which will last four days, a memorandum of understanding will be signed to promote the production of green hydrogen in Colombia, which is considered crucial to reducing CO2 emissions.
Colombia seeks to generate and export green hydrogen as well as use it to meet domestic demand with the use of appropriate technologies. The transition to renewable energy is a cornerstone of Petro’s government, as it seeks to address climate change and strengthen the country’s productive capacity.
On his agenda for Thursday, Petro met with the Colombian community in Germany and attended a luncheon convened by the Federal Association of German Industry (BDI). During the lunch, the topic of green hydrogen was discussed with the participation of presidents of companies from various sectors. In addition, Petro met with Bundestag President Bärbel Bas and gave a lecture at the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung.
On Friday, Petro is scheduled to meet with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz at Bellevue Palace. A memorandum of understanding will also be signed between the Colombian ministers of Mines and Energy and Industry, Trade, and Tourism with the Fraunhofer Society-Hydrogen Institute, a research organization specializing in applied sciences.
Colombia seeks to advance an investment project of between US$5 billion and US$6 billion to build clean energy production facilities. The Colombian president highlights South America’s competitive advantages for producing green hydrogen, especially in the context of the European energy crisis and the need to replace fossil fuels.
In addition to the promotion of green hydrogen, Petro will also sign an agreement to repatriate two pre-Columbian masks of the Kogui people, considered sacred objects for the maintenance of the territories. These masks were acquired in 1915, and a dialogue has been initiated between Colombia and Germany for their restitution.
Petro’s visit to Germany demonstrates Colombia’s commitment to the transition to renewable energy and its interest in establishing international partnerships to promote sustainable development and environmental protection.