State of Ceará maps investments in infrastructure to attract offshore wind and hydrogen

(epbr) The Porto do Pecém has started studies to identify what investments will be needed in the infrastructure of the port complex to attract investments for offshore wind and green hydrogen projects for Ceará, said the Secretary of State for International Relations, Roseane Medeiros .

“Because, obviously, these investments [in renewable projects] are private investments. The governments, neither Ceará nor the Brazilian government, have enough capital to make these investments and this will be done by the private sector. So, the state is preparing, first by studying the infrastructure that will be needed, which is an investment that the state intends to make: increasing the port area”, said Roseane Medeiros in an interview to epbr.

She highlights that Pecém has a large area available to house the development of a new industry such as hydrogen and offshore wind. One of Ceará’s proposals, according to her, is precisely to develop, in the state, the entire production chain.

“This [available area] is a great advantage, because many other places in the world that are in this race do not have this advantage of having the area that we have available to offer to investors”, she commented.

Four companies have a pre-contract with Pecém
In total, four companies interested in developing green hydrogen projects currently have a pre-contract with Complexo do Pecém (CIPP S/A), a joint venture formed by the government of Ceará and the Port of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. They are Cactus Energia, Fortescue, AES Brasil and Casa dos Ventos.

“In other words, they are already paying rent to reserve the area they want. Obviously, the first ones to arrive get the best conditions. This means that each investor must be close to the Porto area, with easy access to transmission, and also easy access to water collection. So, all of these, the first ones who arrive, will have the most easy advantages in terms of reserving the best areas”, commented Medeiros.

The secretary says that private investments have still to take off at the expected pace, but, according to her, the “commitment remains firm”, especially on the part of Europe and its interest in seeking competitive green hydrogen supply sources.

Medeiros also believes that Brazil’s presidency of the G20 this year tends to highlight the energy transition agenda.