## 3 Potential of Water Resources in Magallanes Region
To produce GH2, water must be ultrapure, which implies a desalination by reverse osmosis where 99% of salts are eliminated, with an energy consumption of 3-5 kWh/m3. In that sense, the Magallanes region can take advantage of its cheap wind energy (~20 USD/MWh) to make the process cheaper than in other regions. Desalinated water requires subsequent treatment (demineralization) to meet electrolyte standards (especially PEM technology) [19]. In terms of costs and energy viability, producing 1 kg of GH2 requires ~9 L of purified water. With desalination, total energy consumption increases by ~10-15% concerning the use of fresh water. However, the Magallanes wind surpluses (with capacity factors > 50%) compensate for this additional cost. Finally, considering the investment in infrastructure, modular desalination plants are required near the GH2 production centers [20]. However, in order to more objectively assess its viability as an energy vector in economic decarbonization processes, it is essential to incorporate life cycle analysis (LCA) criteria for its production among the variables. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline
**Issue** & **Desalinated Seawater** & **Freshwater** \\ \hline Availability & Without limits & Limited (competence with other uses) \\ \hline Treatment Costs & High (by energy and electric-mechanical equipment) & Low (if the source is close) \\ \hline Environmental & & \\ Impact & Brine (management with technology) & Extraction affects ecosystems \\ \hline Scalability & Ideal for big projects & Restrictions for regulations \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Comparative analysis between the use of desalinated seawater and fresh water. The article by [PERSON] et al. (2025) [27], conducts a comparative assessment of the environmental impact of three hydrogen production methods: gasification, electrolysis, and a hybrid process combining dark fermentation with microbial electrolysis. The results indicate that coal gasification presents the highest global warming potential, reaching a value of 21.75 kg CO\({}_{2}\)-eq/kg of H\({}_{2}\) produced. In contrast, the electrolysis process showed the lowest atmospheric emissions and environmental impacts, with an estimated value of 6.94 kg CO\({}_{2}\)-eq/kg of H\({}_{2}\). It is important to mention that this study adopts a comprehensive life cycle analysis approach, considering the entire production system and not just the isolated electrolysis process. Consequently, these include the emissions associated with the extraction of raw materials, the carbon intensity of the electricity used, the manufacture of electrolysis equipment, the auxiliary processes involving the use of carbon-based materials, and the storage and transportation of hydrogen. On the other hand, the study conducted by [PERSON] et al. (2024) [28] compares, using a life cycle analysis (LCA), the environmental impacts associated with hydrogen production using photovoltaic (PV) systems versus wind systems. Overall, the results show that wind-based systems have a lower carbon intensity, with emissions ranging from 0.35 to 1.9 kg CO\({}_{2}\)-eq/kg H\({}_{2}\), compared to photovoltaic systems, whose values range from 1.58 to 2.95 kg CO\({}_{2}\)-eq/kg H\({}_{2}\). From an economic perspective, similar trends are observed. The estimated cost of hydrogen production from wind energy ranges between 1.5 and 15 USD/kg of H\({}_{2}\), while for photovoltaic systems, it ranges between USD 3.0 and USD 5.2/kg of H\({}_{2}\). Despite these differences, both renewable systems have considerably lower emissions than conventional fossil fuel-based technologies, which generate between 3.8 and 12 kg CO\({}_{2}\)-eq/kg of H\({}_{2}\) produced. However, a strong advantage of fossil fuel technologies remains their economic competitiveness, with production costs ranging between USD 2.73 and USD 5.94/kg of H\({}_{2}\), which remains a barrier to the widespread adoption of green hydrogen in highly price-sensitive markets.