University of MG begins testing for the application of H2V in industry

A UNIFEI (Federal University of Itajubá) and the H2Brasil project, which is part of the Brazil-Germany Cooperation for Sustainable Development, are building the CH2V (Green Hydrogen Center) in the city of Minas Gerais that will test the application of H2V (green hydrogen) in industry.

The company NEUMAN & ESSER (NEA Brasil) and its subsidiary Hytron — Energia e Gases, are responsible for supplying the equipment for the pilot plant under construction.

CH2V will have a production unit for electrolysis, storage and vehicle supply of H2V, on a scale and conditions that allow it to be operated as a laboratory for R&D (research and development).

Furthermore, it will be a space to demonstrate the production and use of hydrogen, covering the basic aspects (control, measurement, protection and safety in production, logistics and end use) and applications with greater potential in the scope of mobility, energy generation and uses. industrial vehicles for the supply of vehicles from 2023.

With the implementation of the production unit, consisting of a 300 kW PEM electrolyzer, storage vessels, supply dispenser and a fuel cell, the CH2V, which will be powered exclusively by solar energy, will have the capacity to produce 60Nm³ /h of H2V. Several companies and industries nationwide are already in contact with UNIFEI to establish partnerships.

The idea is for CH2V to be a national reference in pilot production of green hydrogen. From the construction of the unit, the project intends to bring together several research fronts that include the analysis of the use of H2V in industrial processes, in the generation of electrical energy and the search for sustainable alternatives for urban mobility.

It is also planned, initially, to include disciplines focused on green hydrogen in undergraduate, postgraduate and specialization courses, promoting the generation of knowledge, exchange of experiences, training and professional qualification in the area.

With the consolidation of this technological hub, UNIFEI stated that the partnership intends to expand discoveries beyond the university, allowing the exchange of knowledge with other educational institutions and integrating actors from the public and private sectors. The work also includes experiments on the application of green hydrogen in steel companies located in Minas Gerais.

“UNIFEI, founded in 1913, has a history and vocation for innovation and research. The construction of a center focused on the production and study of technologies involving green hydrogen will place it as a reference in the area, in addition to increasingly contributing to energy and environmental sustainability, the reduction of inequalities, quality of life and the increase of opportunities”, said professor Dr. Edson da Costa Bortoni, rector of UNIFEI.

“GIZ, as a federal public utility company, supports the German government in its objectives, through the execution of technical cooperation projects in more than 80 countries”, said Marcos Oliveira, one of the coordinators of the H2Brasil project.

The partnership with Brazil is more than 60 years old and, currently, both countries face global environmental challenges through actions to preserve biodiversity and combat climate change with the purpose of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. In this sense, the set of actions within the scope of this cooperation, such as the Green Hydrogen Center, strengthens the objectives of both countries to promote a low-carbon economy”, he emphasized.

Marcelo Veneroso, president of NEA Brasil, added that the company has full capacity to technologically support the sustainable energy transition in Brazil and the world using hydrogen as an energy vector. “With the expertise of our subsidiary Hytron, we can also contribute to the creation and development of the H2V production structure through our electrolysis solutions”

“We see that Brazil is emerging in the world on this topic and we believe that this sustainable gas is a crucial piece in the puzzle of decarbonizing the economy. We have to congratulate innovative projects like this one from UNIFEI and the support from institutions like GIZ. Without these pilots, industrial-scale projects lose technical and political support to get off the ground”, he concluded.

The H2Brasil Project

The H2Brasil project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the MME (Ministry of Mines and Energy) with support from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of Germany.

With resources of almost R$ 25 million by 2023, the initiative provides UNIFEI with the necessary infrastructure to carry out experimental research in the green economy.

The main objective of H2Brasil is to support the expansion of the green hydrogen market in the country, by promoting research, exchanging information between Brazilian and German universities, promoting innovation projects and new technologies, certification and regulatory studies focusing on H2V and promotion of professional training courses.