Article

The Power-to-MEDME-R&D project, a collaboration between the Fraunhofer Institute and various partners, has concluded its two-year research on sustainable production of green hydrogen, methanol, and dimethyl ether (DME) in Chile. Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, the project ran from October 2023 to December 2025.

Findings indicate that Chile's favorable conditions for renewable energy make it a competitive location for producing green methanol and DME, potentially enabling cost-effective local use and export. The project demonstrated a pilot plant for DME production and developed cost-effective catalysts for electrolyzers.

Additionally, social and environmental impacts were assessed, with training for local engineers conducted at the Universidad de Concepción. The results highlight opportunities for decarbonization in mining and emphasize the significance of Chilean-German cooperation in advancing green hydrogen value chains.