Before approving megaprojects such as the green ammonia project in Magallanes, Terram hydrogen researcher and economist Cristopher Toledo says that significant challenges need to be addressed. Toledo mentions three main conflicts that this project poses: loss of habitat and species, pollution of marine waters and impact on the human environment. He explains that the construction of the project would entail the loss of plant formations and the disturbance of fauna, as well as the modification of nesting sites. In addition, the desalination plant will generate brine that will affect marine biodiversity and industrial wastewater will be generated that will impact the aquatic ecosystem.
Toledo also points out that the project will generate an excess of labour demand that will have to be covered by people from outside the territory, which could have different impacts on road infrastructure, the displacement of local communities and access to essential services. According to him, the aim is to sacrifice territories to supply exclusively external markets and contribute to decarbonising the economies of developed countries. For this reason, Terram and other organisations have expressed their rejection of this mega-project and criticise its disproportionate scale and orientation towards exports.
Addressing significant challenges
Before approving such megaprojects, Toledo argues that significant challenges need to be addressed, such as a robust regulatory framework and proper management of socio-environmental impacts. Establishing clear regulations for all aspects of the hydrogen production value chain and implementing measures to mitigate negative effects are critical to ensuring that economic benefits reach the affected areas.
