Walmart Chile and Copec inaugurate first hydrogen fueling station for high-tonnage trucks

Walmart Chile and Copec inaugurated the country's first hydrogen fueling station for high-tonnage trucks, located at Walmart Chile's Distribution Center in Quilicura. The station will allow green hydrogen to be incorporated into a logistics operation and advance the development of new alternatives for freight transport. The ceremony was attended by the dual-minister of Economy and Mining, Daniel Mas, the executive vice president of Corfo, José Mujica, and representatives of the participating companies. The hydrogen station is the result of a public-private collaboration developed since 2024 alongside Marval Clean Logistics, IEE and Mining3 Chile, with co-financing from Corfo through the Hidrohaul Technology Program. Awarded in 2023, the program seeks to promote the use of green hydrogen to replace fossil fuels in logistics and transportation. Thus, Copec contributes its experience in distribution and leads the implementation of the hydrogen station, while Walmart Chile makes available its plant and its green hydrogen production surpluses, as well as the space and a logistics operation through which hundreds of trucks pass daily. In this way, both organizations seek to transform the potential of green hydrogen into a concrete solution for heavy freight transport, one of the most challenging segments to decarbonize due to its requirements for range, power and operational continuity. "This reflects how we understand innovation at Walmart Chile: as a tool to solve concrete challenges and transform our operation. Today we are taking green hydrogen from potential to a real application in our logistics, and we are doing it through collaboration, because moving toward an increasingly sustainable supply chain requires adding capabilities, knowledge and experience from different actors," said its CEO, Annie Walker. For his part, the CEO of Copec S.A., Arturo Natho, indicated that "at Copec we have been accompanying Chile's development for 91 years, and doing so toward the future means innovating permanently. This first hydrogen station for high-tonnage trucks is a concrete example of that: together with Walmart Chile, a strategic partner for us, we are bringing green hydrogen to a real logistics operation and advancing alternatives that can contribute to the decarbonization of heavy transport." From technological development to the roads During the inauguration, the first hydrogen refueling at the station was carried out, after which a Marval driver began the route to the Lider store in Huechuraba. Starting in October, the vehicle will begin making regular deliveries in the Metropolitan Region, Valparaíso and Rancagua. The pilot contemplates two trucks, whose incorporation will be gradual to evaluate their performance on different routes. Marval will be in charge of operating the trucks participating in the pilot. In this context, its general manager, Guillermo Barros, noted that "we are happy to contribute with this truck because the only way to achieve this type of development is through a public-private alliance. This milestone means that we will be able to take the work carried out jointly to the road, beginning a stage of real operation." The next step The station will allow refueling trucks with a range of more than 600 kilometers, with an estimated refueling time of 20 minutes for a vehicle with an empty tank. The use of this technology will avoid the emission of 380 tons of CO₂ per year, equivalent to removing approximately 83 gasoline cars from circulation for a year. In this context, the minister of Economy, Daniel Mas, highlighted the initiative's contribution to the development of new applications for green hydrogen in the country. "It is a pride to be inaugurating the first hydrogen station for high-tonnage trucks in Chile. For this, public-private work has been fundamental, and what Walmart has done together with its teams with the support of Corfo has allowed the development of this dream that opens a gigantic path for green hydrogen for the decarbonization of heavy transport in the country," he said. Heavy transport presents decarbonization challenges due to its demands for range, power and operational continuity. This pilot will allow obtaining information to develop future stations and expand the use of the technology. Hidrohaul also contemplates the training of specialists in operation and technical service and the enablement of workshops for trucks, generating local capabilities for future projects. From Quilicura to El Peñón: a roadmap to scale green hydrogen The project also adds to Walmart Chile's advances in Quilicura: the inauguration of its green hydrogen plant in 2023, the incorporation of a first truck in 2024 and the enablement of a refueling point for the first hydrogen bus of the RED system in September 2025. The latter was promoted alongside Marval Clean Logistics, IEE, Mining3 and Copec, under the leadership of the Metropolitan Public Transport Directorate. "Developing a new industry like green hydrogen requires companies willing to integrate innovations from pilots to real operation. The public role that supports investment is framed in that step. That is why, for Corfo, this first hydrogen station is a key milestone within a path we have traced for the development of internal demand projects for green hydrogen in different regions of Chile. This prepares us for when this industry takes off at a global level," said the executive vice president of Corfo, José Mujica. In addition, the launch of the Quilicura hydrogen station is part of a broader roadmap for the company. The lessons learned during this stage will serve as a basis for advancing toward a larger-scale project at the El Peñón Distribution Center, where Walmart Chile plans to develop a new green hydrogen plant and begin incorporating up to 10 trucks. Its implementation is planned starting in 2028. Recognized by Corfo as a Research and Development (R&D) initiative, this project is part of Walmart Chile's path to advance toward decarbonizing 50% of its transportation operations by 2030 and its aspiration to become a regenerative company.