Neoenergia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Rio Grande do Sul for the development of green hydrogen and offshore wind generation. The company is developing studies for offshore wind generation on the coast of Rio Grande do Sul, the Águas Claras park. The agreement was signed in the municipality of Esteio.
The memorandum is valid for three years and provides for cooperation in carrying out studies to promote the two clean energy technologies, considering the port’s relevance and the state’s wind potential. The focus is on the Port of Rio Grande, one of the most important in the country for international trade and which houses companies in the chemical, petrochemical, mining and fertilizer sectors. The projects can have synergy with the port infrastructure both in the installation phase, as it serves as a support area for the manufacture and storage of materials, and in the operation phase, allowing the docking of special vessels.
The partnership is in line with Neoenergia’s strategy to expand its portfolio of renewables and the company’s commitment to decarbonization. “Green hydrogen technologies and offshore wind generation can lead Brazil to a global role in clean energy, which is part of Neoenergia’s DNA. We seek to contribute to the national electricity sector in the development of these new generation models and anticipate the market of the future “, says Eduardo Capelastegui, CEO of Neoenergia.
The initiative can contribute to the promotion of offshore wind energy, encouraging socio-economic and environmental development, infrastructure and value and supply chains in the region and the country. The National Energy Plan – PNE 2050, prepared by the Energy Research Company (EPE), points out that offshore regions represent the last frontier for the development of wind energy, with a significant increase in the exploitation of the source. The potential of offshore wind in Brazil is 1.2 TW, according to a World Bank report, and, according to the EPE, 700 GW in areas with a depth of up to 50m. Rio Grande do Sul stands out in this scenario.
Green Hydrogen
The partnership also provides for the collaboration of Neoenergia and the Government of Rio Grande do Sul in the development of a pilot project for the production of green hydrogen and in the study of opportunities in the Port of Rio Grande. Fuel is a strategic vector for the industrial segment and sectors that are difficult to decarbonize, such as urban, marine and air transport.
Green hydrogen represents a technological advance over other sources, such as gray and blue, from sources such as natural gas. When classified as green, hydrogen is obtained from the electrolysis of water, in which electricity from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, is used for the decomposition of water molecules. This process does not generate carbon dioxide and is therefore clean.
With most of the electricity matrix based on renewable sources and the segment’s expectation of expansion, with the development of new technologies such as offshore wind, Brazil is in a position to become a protagonist in the production of green hydrogen to meet domestic demand and exports. . The National Energy Policy Council (CNPE) of Brazil, in February 2021, pointed to green hydrogen as one of the priority topics for research and development in the country.
In addition to the new agreement with the government of Rio Grande do Sul, Neoenergia had already signed memoranda of understanding with the governments of Pernambuco, Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte for the development of green hydrogen.
Brazil Energy Insight 
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