Ceará has been one of the Brazilian states with the greatest demand for companies to build green hydrogen plants.
To date, at least 17 companies have already gone after the northeastern region seeking agreements to install projects that, together, could capitalize more than R$100 billion in 20 years.
At the beginning of the month, the Ceará government went ahead of other states by publishing the first resolution to environmental licensing of green hydrogen plants in the country.
A working group was even set up to improve the resolution, in order to define criteria and parameters for obtaining authorizations by investors.
Ao Canal Solar, Artur Bruno, Secretary of the Environment of Ceará, explains that the State by promoting this new technology, it seeks to halve greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
“We are prioritizing clean energy and, to this end, initially, we increased investments in wind and solar plants. Now, our total priority is to promote green hydrogen. There are already 17 companies and most of them are multinationals”, he explains.
The secretary also highlights that the agreement with the companies will allow the companies to invest resources in the production and commercialization of the source, using solar energy for its manufacture.
“We have the Pecém port complex, we have the attraction of an export processing zone, in addition to the resolution that deals with the licensing and investments of green hydrogen in the State. Certainly, many investments still lie ahead”, he highlights.
Investors
Earlier this month, Brazilian companies BI Energia, Cactus Energia Verde and Uruquê Energias Renováveis signed memoranda of understanding to develop projects related to the production of green hydrogen in Ceará.
In total, more than R$26 billion is planned for the construction of three projects: a photovoltaic solar energy generation complex, an offshore wind farm and an electrolysis plant in the future green hydrogen hub in the ZPE (Export Processing Zone). ) from the Port of Pecém.
This Monday (21), it was the turn of Qair – a French energy producer – to also show interest. The multinational informed Valor Econômico that it is considering expanding its portfolio of wind and solar farm projects for energy production, aiming to supply two green hydrogen units that it is considering building, one of which is on the outskirts of the Port of Pecém (CE).
Operating in Brazil since 2017, Qair was one of the first companies to begin studies for the production of green hydrogen in the country, in May last year, in Pernambuco and Ceará.
Solar energy
Qair also intends to build a 440 MW solar park in the municipality of Icó (CE). The company wants to begin construction in 2022 and begin commercial operations of the project at the end of 2023.
The majority of the energy generated by the unit will be sold on the free market. The estimated investment to build the space is around R$1,9 billion, with resources that will come from national banks.
Since its arrival in the national territory, Qair has invested around R$2,7 billion in four wind and solar energy projects, with 600 MW in total, in the states of Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte. With the new investment, the company will exceed 1 GW capacity in the country.
