Colombia
has pledged to cut its CO₂ emissions by half by 2030, aiming to become a
carbon-neutral country by 2050, according to data from the Ministry of Energy
of the Colombian government. To achieve this goal, scaling up green hydrogen is
key, and the country is in a privileged position thanks to its diverse supply of
raw materials and natural resources.
Alejandro
Rendon (Colombia, 31) has identified the transportation sector as one of the
areas with the greatest potential for change, both because of the energy it
consumes and the emissions it produces. According to the United Nations,
transport is responsible for 39% of greenhouse gas emissions in Latin America
and the Caribbean. It's an issue with global health consequences: pollution
causes 9 million deaths worldwide each year.
A
mechanical engineer from the University of Antioquia, Rendon always knew he
wanted to leave a mark, and be remembered. At the same time, he grew
increasingly concerned about the environmental footprint we humans are leaving
behind and the pace at which we are consuming natural resources. “It didn’t
take long for me to realize that if we kept going down this path, there might
not be anyone left to remember any of us.” That’s when his passion for clean
energy began.
His
solution is to generate green hydrogen for freight transport through a
micro-hydroelectric plant and an electrolysis process, an innovative approach,
particularly in Colombia. The project is a national first, and it reduces
operating costs for freight vehicles by 30% by offering a cleaner, cheaper
refueling option.
The green
hydrogen they produce efficiently will be used in Rendon’s solution for
heavy-duty trucks. It already has the backing of 12 major Colombian companies
that will test the technology in a 50-truck pilot program. The system has the
capacity to serve up to 500 trucks, with plans to scale that number to 5,000
over the next five years. Rendon
estimates that green hydrogen usage reduces fossil fuel consumption by 40%. So
the benefits are not only economic—there’s a clear environmental upside as
well. The pilot will be launched in the Colombian city of Medellín, benefiting
2.5 million people with cleaner air.
But this
isn’t just a sustainable energy project—it’s also a technology-driven
innovation. With the help of IoT and artificial intelligence, the system
controls hydrogen injection into diesel engines. Rendon’s solution brings
together technology, environmental responsibility, and economic sustainability.
“Today, we are a national and regional benchmark. Not only have we succeeded in
producing low-cost hydrogen, but we’ve also developed the technology to make it
economically and environmentally viable,” he says.
“My purpose
is no longer just to be remembered, but to be part of something bigger: driving
the energy transition in Colombia and Latin America. Today, I live that passion
by developing technologies and raising awareness to transform how we produce
and consume natural resources. Now, I don’t just want to leave a mark. I want
that mark to be positive and lasting, by leading the shift toward a more
sustainable energy future,” explains the mechanical engineer, who already holds
several patents.
With nearly
a decade of experience in the energy sector, this breakthrough has earned
Rendon a place among MIT Technology Review in Spanish 35 Innovators Under 35.
Moving forward, his mission is to keep making an impact, while ensuring that
public administrations, private companies, and civil society walk together
toward a green transition. “The energy transition is a challenge that involves
all of us. That’s why we must work together to ensure it is fair and
sustainable over time.”
