Ecopetrol, Terpel and Opex launch hydrogen pilot for transport in Colombia
Six‑month trial tests diesel–hydrogen combustion in a fuel tanker operating from Cenit’s Tocancipá station.
Ecopetrol, Terpel and Opex have begun a six‑month pilot program to test the use of hydrogen in heavy‑duty fuel transport, marking the first trial of its kind in Colombia. The initiative involves converting the combustion system of a tanker truck to operate on a 10% hydrogen and 90% diesel blend in an effort to reduce emissions and evaluate the viability of low‑carbon logistics.
The project is being carried out at the Cenit station in Tocancipá (Cundinamarca), part of the Ecopetrol Group, where Opex has installed a new hydrogen production system capable of generating up to 4 kilograms per day. The hydrogen will fuel a tanker responsible for supplying Terpel service stations in Duitama, Boyacá.
According to the partners, the pilot aims to lower CO₂, CO and unburned hydrocarbon emissions by at least 50% compared to conventional operation, thanks to a more complete combustion process enabled by hydrogen injection.
The initiative seeks to leverage existing Cenit infrastructure to develop a cost‑efficient and scalable logistics model in the Bogotá metropolitan industrial corridor. It represents Colombia’s first real‑world test of hydrogen blending for freight transport, aligning with the national government’s strategy to advance clean, sustainable energy transition pathways.
The results of the pilot will help assess the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of hydrogen use in heavy‑duty vehicles and could inform future deployments of hydrogen‑based logistics solutions in Colombia’s freight sector.
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Ecopetrol, Terpel and Opex launch hydrogen pilot for transport in Colombia, source
