The PIB program brings together Dutch companies with extensive international experience in engineering, port development, infrastructure, green hydrogen, sustainable fuels and industrial planning. Participating companies include Impact Hydrogen, Port Consultants Rotterdam, Proton Ventures, Bright Renewables and Rotterdam Partners. During their visit, the delegation will meet with regional authorities, companies and academic institutions to exchange knowledge and explore opportunities for collaboration.

The agenda includes technical visits to strategic regional projects, tours of industrial and port facilities, a technical navigation in the Última Esperanza Province to examine the challenges of decarbonizing maritime transport, and the development of an international seminar and a hackathon focused on shared infrastructure, port logistics and regional development for the energy transition.

One of the keynote speakers will be Ante Frens, a renowned international expert in the energy sector with more than thirty years of experience. He has held senior positions at Shell, including Chairman of Shell Albania, and currently advises governments, companies and international organizations on energy transition strategies, green hydrogen, industrial development, infrastructure and governance.

Rianne Vriend, Business Manager Energy & Chemicals at Rotterdam Partners and Coordinator of the PIB Chile Program, emphasized that “Magallanes has exceptional conditions to become an international benchmark in the development of new energies. Our goal is to share the experience the Netherlands has built over decades in port planning, logistics, infrastructure and public–private collaboration, contributing to the creation of an ecosystem that can turn the region’s opportunities into sustainable, long-term projects.”

Paula Galilea, Senior Policy Officer for Energy, Innovation and Trade at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Chile, stated that “cooperation between Chile and the Netherlands shows how international collaboration can accelerate the energy transition. Magallanes plays a strategic role in this shared vision, and this mission aims to strengthen ties between institutions, companies and knowledge centers to generate new opportunities for investment, innovation and development for the region.”

Javier Romero, Director of Corfo Magallanes, noted that “Corfo is promoting a collaborative agenda that seeks to connect Magallanes’ capabilities with leading international practices. This visit from the Dutch delegation represents a concrete opportunity to strengthen collaboration between the public sector, industry and academia, incorporating world-class knowledge in infrastructure, port logistics and energy development. Our role is to create the conditions for these cooperation networks to translate into new opportunities for investment, innovation and productive development for the region.”

Since 2021, Chile and the Netherlands have steadily strengthened their cooperation in energy transition, particularly in green hydrogen, port infrastructure and sustainable logistics chains. Numerous joint initiatives have been developed between authorities, companies and knowledge centers, consolidating the Netherlands as one of Chile’s key European partners in this field.

Alexis Paredes, Manager of the Transforma H2V Magallanes Program, highlighted that “this binational agenda has strategic value because it brings successful international experiences directly to the regional ecosystem. Our role is to connect public institutions, companies, academia and local organizations so that knowledge, best practices and lessons learned in leading countries like the Netherlands can be transformed into concrete opportunities for Magallanes. The activities we will carry out—technical meetings, site visits, an international seminar and a hackathon—aim precisely to generate this exchange and strengthen a shared vision regarding the logistical, port and energy challenges facing the region.”

As part of the mission, the regional community is invited to participate in the International Seminar “Building Green Energy Hubs: the Dutch Experience for Chile”, which will take place on Monday, August 31 at 09:00 in the Auditorium of the University of Magallanes. Participation is free with prior registration and is open to authorities, companies, professionals, academics, students and all those interested in the energy and logistics development of the Magallanes Region.