EN 
PT_BR 
The governors of the Northeast states and the World Bank signed, this Monday morning (25), in Brasília (DF), a Memorandum of Understanding to stimulate the development of the Green Hydrogen chain in the region.
The initiative aims to consolidate the Northeast as a global hub for the green economy. The cooperation was celebrated at the Northeast Consortium meeting. The consortium is formed by the governments of the nine northeastern states: Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe.
The objective is to transform the region into a global hydrogen hub and create new value chains in the states, consolidating the Northeast as a center for the sustainable economy, exploring potential opportunities in solar energy, water and sanitation projects.
The partnership also intends to encourage the exchange of experiences, knowledge and investments in digital public infrastructure to expand connectivity, develop digital platforms, implement best practices in cybersecurity and promote the development of digital skills.
“Today’s memorandum is for us to take advantage of the experience that the World Bank has and apply it to our development project for Green Hydrogen in Ceará, to gather the experiences that the Bank has in other places in the world”, highlighted Elmano de Freitas, governor of Ceará.
According to him, Ceará is advancing in the implementation of the Green Hydrogen Hub in the Pecém Industrial and Port Complex. The state already has financing from the World Bank, worth R$ 600 million, for the modernization of the Port of Pecém.
Johannes Zutt, director of the World Bank for Brazil, stated that the signing is an important step in a journey aimed at sustainable development in the Region. “For us, at the World Bank, we hope that the Northeast Region of Brazil will become a global leader in this challenge”, he pointed out.
The governor of Paraíba and president of the Northeast Consortium, João Azevêdo, also spoke about the potential of the Northeast. “We know that our Region can be a major player in the production of green hydrogen. All of this needs to happen in a harmonious and regulated manner. This memorandum will allow the creation of a favorable environment for the energy transition phase, with the sharing of expertise”, he assessed.
For Fábio Mitidieri, governor of Sergipe, support from the World Bank is essential for the Northeast. “We are concerned with the responsible energy transition, which understands that green consciousness is a construction. Sergipe is attentive to changes and investing in the diversity of the energy matrix and the potential for exploring newly discovered gas”, he stated.
Also on the agenda of the Northeast Consortium meeting are transmission line auctions and the extension of tax benefits for investors in the green economy.
