Canada and Costa Rica have signed an agreement on cooperation on hydrogen issues

Toronto (Canada), July 13 (EFE) .- The Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (CHFCA) and the Costa Rican Hydrogen Association (ACH2) signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries to enhance cooperation in the development of zero-emission technologies. These countries see climate change as a key factor in combating the crisis.

Canada is one of the top 10 hydrogen producers in the world and has more than 100 leading companies in the field of hydrogen technology and fuel cells, employing more than 2,100 people in 2017 and generating more than $ 200 million (US $ 160 million) in revenue per year.

CHFCA President and CEO Mark Kirby said in a statement that the agreement with AC2 would enhance cooperation between the hydrogen and fuel cell sectors in Costa Rica and Canada, and help the two countries achieve their climate goals and promote international trade and distribution chains. ‘

For his part, Javier Bonilla Herrera, President of ACH2, declared that the agreement “represents a great opportunity” for ACH2 and felt that they were “excited” to collaborate with CHFCA and share their knowledge.

“Costa Rica is emerging as a key player in the global hydrogen value chain,” said Bonila Herrera, adding that she is committed to “achieving the goals in this memorandum.”

CHFCA and ACH2 are both non-profit organizations that aim to promote the use of hydrogen as an energy source.

Costa Rica’s Ambassador to Canada Mauricio Artis described the agreement as “a fundamental element of the constructive future steps to link the public-private partnerships between the two countries.”

Costa Rica has launched an ambitious national plan for the decarbonization of the economy in 2019 with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 through the modernization and electrification of public transport, research into alternative fuels such as hydrogen and forest mass expansion. Country.

In 2020, for the sixth year in a row, Costa Rica produced at least 98% of its electricity from renewable sources. Last year, this percentage was exactly 99.78%, according to data from the Costa Rican Electric Company (ICE).

Central America, with a population of 5 million, has about 40 power plants and 99.4% electricity service.

In December 2020, after three years of research and analysis, Canada launched a plan to use hydrogen so that, like Costa Rica, the North American country reaches carbon neutrality by 2050.

International cooperation in the development and application of hydrogen technologies is one of the strategies of this project. EFE

jcr / at / lll