Foreign companies in Chile will invest mainly in green hydrogen, technology, and food. These sectors continued to grow despite the pandemic.
The coronavirus pandemic had a significant impact on the inflow of foreign investment, according to available data investments in countries associated with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) globally decreased by up to 77% year-on-year during the first half of the year.
In Chile, however, the situation is different, foreign investment is increasing there this year (according to the Central Bank of Chile, see article here). Representatives of selected companies have currently expressed their confidence in Chile and the local conditions for investment development during the Chile online seminar: Re-boost to Investment and New Bussines Opportunities.
Green hydrogen is now attracting the attention of investors around the world. This represents a possible alternative to fossil fuels in the future, and Chile is well placed to produce it. In the north of the country, the French multinational Engie operates in particular, with investments of $2-3 billion over the next two decades.
Thanks to its easy entry into the local market and sufficient electricity from renewable sources, Chile also offers great conditions for the development of data centers, so the country has established itself as a digital hub for the whole of South America in the last two years. More than 15 data centers have been installed in Chile, and the sector’s total project portfolio includes more than 20 initiatives worth $3 billion.
A new production plant in the chillán district plans to open in the first half of 2022 the Mexican food group Bimbo Group, which operates in Chile under the brand name Ideal. The plant will create up to 180 new jobs and thus contribute to the economic reactivation of the country.
In the field of renewable energy sources in Chile, the Czech energy group Solek also operates, investing in photovoltaics. It already has 12 solar parks in Chile and is preparing dozens of more power plants. It is thus one of the largest investors in the PMGD segment, a distributed energy source whose territorial diversification ensures Chile’s energy security.
