A Shell Brazil and Port of Açu signed last Thursday (19) a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) for the joint development of a pilot plant for generating green hydrogen at the port facilities, located in the northern region of the state of Rio de Janeiro.
The project is a pioneer in Brazil and will function as a research laboratory to develop learning, carry out decarbonization tests and boost this industry in the country.
The resources for the construction of the unit come from the R&D&I (Research, Development & Innovation) clause of the ANP (National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels).
The pilot plant, which is expected to be ready in 2025, will have an initial capacity of 10 MW and may reach 100 MW, in accordance with the unit's expansion plan. Initially, electricity from the national grid will be connected to the electrolysis plant, which will have renewable hydrogen as its main product.
Part of the hydrogen generated will be used for storage and later sent to potential consumers. The remaining hydrogen will be used for the renewable ammonia generation plant.
“This is a project of immense importance not only for Shell and its partners, but also for Brazil. With this pilot, we aim to foster the development of the entire value chain for renewable hydrogen generation, from technology suppliers, through plant operations to the training of specialized labor,” said André Araujo, president of Shell Brazil.
“In addition, we intend to facilitate a series of proofs of concept regarding the decarbonization of sectors. It will be a true laboratory for generating knowledge and value for both Shell and the country, he added.
According to the company, the pilot plant is another step by Shell Brazil towards reducing the CO2 footprint of its business, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Driving Progress strategy, launched in February 2021.
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“The signing of this agreement is a milestone in the development of the green hydrogen market in Brazil. The world-class infrastructure of the Port of Açu is an essential component to accelerate the development of low-carbon projects and the decarbonization of the industry. We are very pleased to join forces with Shell and contribute to the transition efforts to a low-carbon economy,” said José Firmo, CEO of the Port of Açu.
Globally, Shell has hydrogen generation projects in Germany, the Netherlands and China. Porto do Açu is a multi-business platform, developed by Prumo Logística, controlled by EIG Energy Partners, a leading institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure market. The port enterprise already has projects in green hydrogen, solar energy and offshore wind.
Comments (2)
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Hi Ericka. Congratulations on the report. Just two observations: today in Brazil there are already two green hydrogen plants, one next to the Porto Primavera hydroelectric plant, owned by CESP, and the other next to the Itumbiara hydroelectric plant, in Furnas, the first with 100 kW and the second with 300 kW. Another detail: when hydrogen is generated with electricity from the grid, it is called yellow, not green, a term reserved for the use of electricity from solar and/or wind sources. See the definition adopted by EPE in https://www.epe.gov.br/sites-pt/publicacoes-dados-abertos/publicacoes/PublicacoesArquivos/publicacao-654/NT%20Hidrogenio%20Azul.pdf.
A hug.
Hello Ennio, thank you very much! I also appreciate your feedback. To clarify, this is the 1st plant located in the state of Rio de Janeiro and not the 1st in Brazil. As for yellow hydrogen, the plant will initially produce this. However, the ultimate goal is the production of green hydrogen.