Green hydrogen (GH2) ambitions vary significantly across Latin America, despite the region’s favourable conditions for production. This article investigates the contrasting trajectories of GH2 sector development in Chile and Peru – two countries with similar natural endowments but divergent levels of engagement. Drawing on a political economy perspective, the article develops a theoretical typology based on the interaction between state capacity and business positioning. It identifies four ideal-type configurations of state-business relations: cooperative, contentious, business-driven/project-based, and non-alignment/non-development. This typology offers a heuristic tool for analysing different pathways of engagement with GH2. Using a comparative case study design grounded in documentary analysis and 17 expert interviews, the article shows that Chile follows a cooperative model, where a high-capacity state and a supportive business sector jointly advance GH2 development through strategic coordination, public investment, and international partnerships. In contrast, Peru exemplifies a business-driven, fragmented approach, shaped by low state capacity, institutional volatility, and the influence of a powerful fossil fuel sector. The findings highlight the importance of state-business configurations in shaping green industrial policy in the Global South and point to future research avenues including the role of fossil sector resistance, external actors, and civil society mobilization.
