Hydrogen, a gas that can be used as a source of energy for vehicles, industries and even for thermoelectric plants, has attracted increasing interest in the foreign market – especially in Europe, in order to replace the gas imported from Russia.

Given this expectation of increased demand, the interest of Brazilian companies in investing in this “new energy commodity” also increased, as the president of the Brazilian Hydrogen Association (ABH2), Paulo Emílio Valadão, said.

“A year ago we only had seven member companies. Today we have 43, and another eight are in the process of being associated. This shows the interest in this area, with very interesting possibilities from an environmental and population health point of view”, said Valadão in one of the sessions of the first Global Symposium on Sustainable Solutions in Water and Energy, in Foz do Iguaçu (PR).

The meeting, which brings together authorities, civil society, the private sector and experts in water, energy, terrestrial ecosystems and climate change, started today (13) and runs until Wednesday (15).

To be produced in fuel form, hydrogen requires a large amount of energy. If the process of producing this gas does not use energy sources that are harmful to the environment, it is called "green hydrogen", a format that has increasingly aroused foreign interest.

Among the possibilities planned by the Brazilian authorities to meet this growing demand for alternative and sustainable energies, is the use of energy obtained from offshores (structures installed at sea) to produce this hydrogen fuel, which can be exported by land. (by pipelines or trucks) or by sea (vessels).

Potential

According to the president of ABH2, the country has other production potentials that are not harmful – or not very harmful – to the environment, which go beyond the energy generated by hydroelectric plants and wind and solar sources.

“We have very large potential for the use of wind and solar energy, and we have a very large coastline that allows us to develop energy from the oceans. In addition, we have a large production of ethanol, biogas, biodiesel and biomass tailings, which are other sources for hydrogen production,” he said.

Costs

According to Valadão, currently the cost of hydrogen produced from fossil fuels is around US$ 1.4 per kilo of hydrogen produced. The one produced from electrolysis [a process that removes hydrogen from water] has a cost that varies between US$ 5 and US$ 7 dollars per kilo.

“There are also interesting prospects for the use of biomass, which can be produced at a competitive cost; and also to start exploring natural hydrogen. It is estimated that this cost is lower than that produced from fossil fuels”, detailed the president of ABH2.

He adds that there are records of occurrences of natural hydrogen in at least four locations in the country. “This means that, in the future, we will have wells producing natural hydrogen in Brazil,” he said.

Regulation, norms and standards

In order to favor this scenario, the association reported having created a council, in which it brings together “companies, academia and government bodies with objectives such as regulation, norms and standards to facilitate the opening of the market for this new energy commodity in Brazil” .

Valadão added that 10 federative units can now be considered hubs [places that concentrate innovative initiatives] in green hydrogen: Bahia, Ceará, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul and São Paul.

Organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN Desa) and Itaipu Binacional, the Global Symposium on Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions aims to “share and explore best practices in relation to the sustainable use of water and energy” .