Energy transition and green geopolitics: ENERLAC study highlights challenges and opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean
- REDAÇÃO H2RADAR
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
The latest edition of ENERLAC – Latin American and Caribbean Energy Review (volume VIII, number 2, December 2024) provides the public with an analytical and multifaceted overview of the main drivers of the energy transition in the region. With technical articles and case studies that connect innovation, sustainability and regulation, the publication establishes itself as a space of excellence for qualified debate on the future of Latin American energy, in line with global climate goals and ongoing geopolitical transformations.
Low-carbon hydrogen, regulation and geopolitical influence: the axes of energy transformation
Among the highlights of this edition is the analysis of the potential environmental impacts of hydrogen production in offshore wind projects in Uruguay's Exclusive Economic Zone, highlighting the environmental dilemmas that accompany solutions considered clean. Along the same lines, another article examines the technical and economic viability of using sustainable hydrogen in the ceramics industry, while a third assesses the long-term potential of this source in Uruguay, with projections up to 2050 for the electricity sector. The Argentine experience with wind energy serves as a basis for extracting lessons applicable to industrial development focused on hydrogen, connecting technology and industrial policy.
Brazil gains relevant space in the regulatory debate with an in-depth analysis of financial guarantees for the decommissioning of oil and gas facilities, a crucial topic given the need to mitigate environmental liabilities and ensure orderly transitions. Still at the intersection of energy and politics, a study explores the geopolitical influence of the energy transition on the global value chain of critical materials, highlighting the strategic role of Latin America in the supply of inputs such as lithium. Finally, China's leading role is examined based on its growing investments in electric vehicles, batteries and mining on the continent, revealing a new axis of technological and financial dependence that reconfigures alliances and economic flows in the Global South.
The edition reinforces ENERLAC's role as a technical and geostrategic observatory of a region that, despite structural asymmetries, is emerging as one of the main protagonists of the global energy transition.
