Two high schools in the Metropolitan Region —the Liceo Bicentenario Industrial de Electrotecnia Ramón Barros Luco (La Cisterna) and the Liceo Bicentenario Industrial Domingo Matte Pérez (Maipú)— received modern virtual reality headsets as part of a competition by the Ministry of Energy and the Energy Sustainability Agency.
Thanks to this technology, students will be able to take an immersive tour of a green hydrogen plant in Magallanes, facing emergency simulations and learning about energy processes in safe and high-fidelity environments.
Technical and Sustainable Training
The initiative is part of the National Green Hydrogen Strategy 2023-2030 and strengthens the Young Talent + Energy program, which seeks to articulate educational-labor pathways with the demands of the sustainable energy industry.
- The headsets allow learning about renewable energy systems without risks or geographical barriers.
- Practical training is enhanced, and young people’s job opportunities are expanded.
International Competitions
SOFOFA high schools also participate in the H2 Grand Prix, an international program where students design and compete with vehicles powered by green hydrogen cells. In Chile, this experience led to the creation of H2GP CHILE, a tournament held since 2024.
- In 2025, the Ev3ntus team from Liceo Benjamín Dávila Larraín (Renca) won the national championship and will represent Chile in the world finals in Freiburg, Switzerland, in June 2026.
Voices from the Educational Community
- Pablo Kusnir, general manager of SOFOFA Corporation: “Innovation is a hallmark of our high schools. These projects align technical-professional training with the challenges of the energy industry”.
- Carolina Domínguez, director of Young Talent + Energy: “Virtual reality allows recreating leaks, repairs, and corrections from a preventive perspective, achieving deeper learning”.
- Agustina Mendoza, senior student: “The headsets will help us understand green hydrogen on a large scale and see how it is produced”.
Public-Private Articulation with an Inclusive Focus
The program also aims to strengthen gender equity in the energy industry. An example of this was the Woman EMTP+ Energy seminar, which brought together students and industry leaders to discuss the challenges of female participation in energy.
The incorporation of virtual reality headsets in SOFOFA high schools marks a progress in Chilean technical education, integrating innovation, sustainability, and equity. These immersive experiences not only prepare young people to face the challenges of the energy industry but also consolidate Chile as a regional leader in training related to green hydrogen.
