HIF Global unveils USD-4bn eFuels project in Uruguay

Alternative fuels producer HIF Global announced on Monday its plan to start developing a USD-4-billion (EUR 3.75bn) carbon-neutral eFuels production facility in Uruguay, having just won a tender for a key element of the project.

The company said in a statement it will build the facility in the city of Paysandu to produce an estimated 256 million litres of eGasoline per year, enough to decarbonise more than 150,000 vehicles.

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This will be done by combining 100,000 tonnes per year of green hydrogen produced on-site with 710,000 tonnes of captured carbon dioxide (CO2). For this purpose, HIF has participated in and won a competitive bidding process held by state-owned company ALUR to negotiate the purchase of 150,000 tonnes per year of biogenic CO2, or about 20% of the total CO2 required.

HIF has determined that such a facility will require 1 GW of electrolysis capacity and 2 GW of renewable electricity. The project is expected to create about 1,500 jobs during the construction phase and 300 permanent positions during operations.

"This is our first step to initiate projects in Uruguay and continue our global fight against climate change. Our focus now will be on the permitting and engineering of the HIF Paysandú eFuels facility, the first plant of its kind in the country,” commented Cesar Norton, President and CEO of HIF Global.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.937)