Ceará will install green hydrogen HUB to attract investments

The HUB in Ceará has the potential to be one of the largest H2V (green hydrogen) players in the world, competing with other countries that have also already started implementation, such as Japan, the United States, Portugal and the Netherlands. This is the assessment of Monica Saraiva Panik, director of institutional relations at ABH2 (Brazilian Hydrogen Association), in relation to the H2V project that the state of Ceará is implementing – considered, by the Ceará government, to be the first in Brazil.

The initiative, announced during a virtual meeting held last week, aims to make Ceará a global player in the production, storage, distribution and export of renewable energy. According to Roseane Oliveira de Medeiros, executive secretary of SEDET (Secretariat of Economic Development and Labor of the State of Ceará), the state is seeking to create public policies so that entrepreneurs see the region as the ideal location for investments.

“The HUB will contribute to the social, economic, technological and environmental development of the state”, highlighted Roseane, adding that meetings with global and local companies have already started.

According to the Ministry, one of the projects has the goal of producing 900 thousand tons of H2V per year, in an area of ​​200 hectares and with an electrolysis capacity of 5 GW. Pecem Complex It is considered a strategic point, for example, for the production and export of green hydrogen, since there are already a large number of industries that can consume it there.

Duna Gondim Uribe, Commercial executive director at CIPP (Pecém Industrial and Port Complex), explained that the port's competitive advantages are its infrastructure and tax benefits.

Furthermore, she emphasized that the structure will function as a mobilizer for the entire value chain, receiving components for offshore wind power plants, in addition to enabling the installation of solar panels, electrolysis plants, H2 storage, desalination plants and power transmission lines. The aim, according to her, is for H2V to be consumed not only by industries, but also used in various logistics services and urban mobility.

Export of green hydrogen

Regarding exports, the government of Ceará stated that the Port of Rotterdam has a stake in the capital of Pecém, in addition to being a partner in this project. The Commercial Executive Director at CIPP also commented that the idea is for the Port of Pecém to become the exit point for H2V produced in Brazil and the Port of Rotterdam to be the entry point to Europe.

Renewable potential

For Jurandir Picanço, consultant for FIEC (Federation of Industries of the State of Ceará) and president of the Ceará Renewable Energy Sector Chamber, another fundamental point for the success of green hydrogen in Ceará is its potential in the area of ​​renewable energy. Data from ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) indicate that Ceará is in 9th place in the state ranking of distributed photovoltaic generation with more than 206 MW of installed power.