Fundamentals of the Green Hydrogen Economy and Power-To-X

1. Introduction

The global energy transition represents one of the greatest challenges and opportunities for Latin America. Hydrogen is a fundamental part of this process and has consolidated itself as a key energy vector to achieve carbon neutrality and to drive the decarbonization of energy-intensive, hard-to-abate sectors such as maritime transport, aviation, and heavy industry (IRENA, 2024). These sectors present a higher tolerance to pay an additional cost or “Green Premium,” at least in the short term. In this sense, hydrogen remains a “no-regrets” option for sectors where electrification is not feasible, offering a clear path to meet national climate goals by 2050. However, even within the aforementioned context, hydrogen today faces a paradox: there have never been so many announced projects, yet a significant portion of them will never be built.

The questions we will attempt to answer in the course are: Everyone wants to produce hydrogen. But who is going to buy it? And which sectors have the greatest consumption potential? What conditions must be met for a country to be truly prepared to develop this industry? What decisions must be made before attracting investments? Why are some projects currently advancing while others disappear? What is happening today in the global hydrogen market? How is it affected by current geopolitical conflicts? Where are the opportunities for the Latin American region?

The course is based on the premise that the development of green hydrogen and Power-to-X in Latin America requires anticipating capacities before the market reaches its full maturity. In this sense, it seeks to prepare professionals capable of understanding the value chain, identifying opportunities, evaluating projects, and participating in decision-making, so that the countries of the region have knowledge and installed capacities when the sector definitively takes off. Each module is structured around a guiding question that introduces a real problem and stimulates critical analysis. From that question, the conceptual contents are articulated with case studies, recent technical documents, analysis tools, and applied activities, promoting active and contextualized learning.

 

2. Curriculum Presentation

The course is taught in a virtual modality (mixed asynchronous/self-paced format with synchronous classes), structured into seven (7) thematic modules covering a duration of 3 weeks and 14 total teaching hours:

 

Module 1: Introduction to Green Hydrogen and Power-to-X

The objective of this module is to introduce participants to the global ecosystem of green hydrogen and Power-to-X (PtX), understanding the recent evolution of the market, the reasons explaining the slowdown observed in recent years, and the development prospects of this industry in the medium and long term. The module will analyze the link between hydrogen, the international climate agenda, decarbonization policies, energy security, and geopolitics, providing the necessary context to understand the strategic role this technology can play in the energy transition. Likewise, fundamental concepts related to green hydrogen, renewable energies, value chains, sustainable carbon sources, and the Power-to-X concept will be addressed, distinguishing between decarbonization and defossilization processes and identifying the environmental, economic, and social benefits associated with their development.

 

Module 2: Production of Green Hydrogen and Power-to-X

The objective of this module is to provide participants with the necessary tools to understand the technical and economic aspects that determine the production of green hydrogen and Power-to-X (PtX) fuels. It will address the necessary conditions for the development of these value chains, the main electrolysis technologies (AEL, PEM, AEM, and SOEC), the conversion processes of renewable energies into hydrogen and its derivatives, available sustainable carbon sources, and the criteria that allow evaluating the technical and economic viability of different production alternatives, fostering a critical understanding for the formulation and evaluation of projects.

 

Module 3: Economic Aspects and Financing

The objective of this module is to understand that developing a green hydrogen project is not solely about producing hydrogen at the lowest possible cost, but about making strategic decisions in an emerging market characterized by high levels of technological, economic, regulatory, and commercial uncertainty. Participants will acquire tools to evaluate investment projects, analyze the factors that affect their competitiveness, and understand the interaction between costs, demand, regulation, and financing.

 

Module 4: Infrastructure and Transport

The objective of this module is to understand the strategic role of infrastructure in the development of the hydrogen economy and its derivatives. Participants will analyze the different transport, storage, and distribution alternatives, evaluating how the choice of a specific molecule, distance to market, available infrastructure, and logistics costs influence project competitiveness. They will also understand that infrastructure is not only a set of physical assets but a key element for connecting renewable resources, value chains, and international markets.

 

Module 5: Markets

This module integrates the knowledge developed throughout the course. In the Economics module, participants analyzed what makes a project financially viable and bankable. In the Infrastructure module, they understood how transport, storage, and logistics decisions allow connecting resources with markets. At this stage, they must integrate both dimensions to answer the central questions of any development strategy: what to produce?, for whom to produce?, and in which markets do real commercial opportunities exist? Thus, market analysis becomes the space where technical, economic, and logistical decisions converge, determining the viability of a hydrogen and Power-to-X project.

 

Module 6: Sustainability Criteria

The objective of this module is to understand that the sustainability of hydrogen and Power-to-X projects transcends the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and involves environmental, economic, social, and governance dimensions throughout the entire value chain. Participants will analyze the main international sustainability criteria, evaluating aspects such as energy use, sustainable carbon, land and water use, critical raw materials, life cycle analysis, and certification schemes, in order to identify the conditions that allow developing environmentally and socially responsible projects.

 

Module 7: Support Policies and Regulations

The objective of this module is to integrate the knowledge developed throughout the entire course to understand that the success of the hydrogen and Power-to-X industry does not depend exclusively on the availability of natural resources or technological advancement, but on the ability to design public policies that articulate investment, infrastructure, markets, sustainability, and innovation. Based on the comparative analysis of international and Latin American experiences, participants will develop criteria to evaluate which strategies and policy instruments are most appropriate according to the structural conditions, productive capacities, and development objectives of each country.

The classes will be in a virtual format, with the participation of the technical team and interactive sessions with the participants to address their queries.

 

3. General objective of the Curriculum

The course aims to train graduates from diverse disciplines with academic and professional excellence in topics related to the development of green hydrogen and its derivative products in different territorial areas of the Latin American region, and to provide a solid and comprehensive foundation on the key concepts of the green hydrogen (H2V) economy and Power-to-X (PtX), enabling them to understand, evaluate, and actively participate in this emerging sector.

 

4. Curriculum Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the curriculum, the student will be able to:

• Understand the scientific and technological foundations of green hydrogen and its energy and industrial applications.
• Analyze the economic, environmental, and social viability of production, storage, and transport projects for hydrogen and its derivatives.
• Examine the regulatory, financial, and international cooperation frameworks linked to the development of the sector, mainly in Latin American countries where hydrogen has a national roadmap or strategy.
• Understand the sustainable planning and management of port infrastructure for the trade of hydrogen and PtX.
• Analyze the public policies necessary to implement for the deployment of the sector.
• Foster regional integration and the creation of research and technological development networks around green hydrogen.

 

5. Participant Profile

The target audience for this course is public or private actors who want to proactively develop technical, economic, and institutional capacities in this market, as well as establish adequate regulatory frameworks. This will be a determining factor for countries to take advantage of the next stage of the sector’s expansion. The main problem today is no longer technological, but economic, regulatory, and related to demand creation. Those who manage to prepare ahead of the rest will be in a better position to attract investments, capture new value chains, and position themselves competitively when the market reaches a larger scale. In other words, staying ahead of the curve will be one of the main strategic advantages.

 

6. Curriculum Intensity
7. The curriculum will have the following workload:

MODULE	SESSIONS	HOURS
SESSION 1. 09/03/26 Module 1: Introduction to Green Hydrogen and Power-to-X	MODULE 1 Definitions and key concepts. Energy transition. Green hydrogen in a geopolitical context. Regional opportunities.	2 HOURS
SESSION 2. 09/08/26 Module 2: Production of Green Hydrogen and Power-to-X	MODULE 2 Hydrogen production. Ways to produce hydrogen. Color classification. Electrolysis. Ways of PtX production.	1 HOUR
SESSION 3. 09/10/26 Module 3: Economic Aspects and Financing	MODULE 3 Production costs of green hydrogen and PtX. Fundamentals of economic viability analysis.	2 HOURS
SESSION 4. 09/15/26 Module 4: Infrastructure and Transport	MODULE 4 Transport options and storage options. Announced projects and possibilities for modernizing existing infrastructure.	2 HOURS
SESSION 5. 09/17/26 Module 5: Markets	MODULE 5 Hydrogen value chain. Importance of electrification first. Potential demand in industrial, transport, and energy sectors. Regulation and policies that influence demand.	2 HOURS
SESSION 6. 09/22/26 Module 6: Sustainability Criteria	MODULE 6 Sustainability Criteria. EESG framework, scopes: Sustainable production and consumption. Sustainability criteria… along the PtX value chain.	2 HOURS
SESSION 7. 09/24/26 Module 7: Support Policies and Regulations	MODULE 7 Policy and PtX. Dimensions, Objectives, and priorities. Roadmaps and tools. International commitments. Global overview of policies and incentives. Progress in Latin America.	2 HOURS
SESSION 8. 09/29/26 MODULE 7: Support policies and regulations. COURSE CLOSING	CONCLUSIONS AND COURSE CLOSING	1 HOUR
TOTAL		14 HOURS

 

8. Registration Record

Participants must register as users at: https://capevcursos.olade.org/login/signup.php and then enroll in the curriculum through the following link: https://capevlac.olade.org/tecnologias/courses/fundamentos-economia-hidrogeno-verde/

 

9. Training Methodology

All curriculum material will be stored in the OLACDE knowledge community: https://capevlac.olade.org/. This material includes: lessons, links for each synchronous session, and consultation and evaluation tools. The participant must access this platform with the username and password registered at the time of enrollment.

The virtual sessions will be taught under a synchronous online modality, which involves real-time interaction between instructors and participants using the OLACDE video conferencing platform.

 

10. Intelectual Property

All material produced and distributed in this course must be used exclusively by the person registered in it. The use of the material for purposes other than the training action itself must be consulted and approved by OLACDE.

 

11. Instructoross

Carina Guzowski is a PhD in economics, professor, and consultant specializing in energy economics, energy planning, energy transition, and sustainable management of natural resources, with a career focused on the analysis of energy systems and their link to sustainable development in Latin America.

 

She has extensive experience in undergraduate and graduate teaching, research, technical assistance, and consulting in energy policy for international organizations, energy transition, and sustainable technology transfer. Her academic and professional work has specifically addressed the energy realities of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Peru, combining a regional perspective with the analysis of markets, public policies, and opportunities for productive development and international cooperation.

 

She is accredited as a trainer for the Renewable Power-to-X – Train of Trainers program of the International PtX Hub, a training conducted in Germany and implemented by GIZ. Furthermore, she has specialized training in Green Hydrogen and Power-to-X applied to maritime transport and has participated as a GIZ trainer in various provinces of Argentina in activities aimed at capacity building and green hydrogen projects.

 

Her current work focuses especially on the economic and productive opportunities associated with green hydrogen and Power-to-X, their insertion into energy transition processes, and the necessary conditions for the development of sustainable projects in Latin America.

Email: guzowskicarina@gmail.com