Brazil energy roundup: Green hydrogen, new hybrid vessel and more

Green hydrogen 1

Ceará governor Elmano de Freitas foresees investments totaling around 30bn reais (US$5.5bn) in green hydrogen projects in the northeast Brazilian state. 

"We want to reach 2030 with the production of 1Mt of green hydrogen in Ceará," said Freitas during a meeting of the special committee on energy transition and green hydrogen production in the lower house of congress in Brasília.

So far, Ceará has 39 memorandums on the subject, and has six pre-contracts with companies, which should soon begin the installation process at the port of Pecém.

Green hydrogen 2

The mines and energy ministry (MME) is working to release transmission grid connection requests for large-scale hydrogen projects. 

"We have several requests for projects to start the process of connecting to the transmission system. We have already published some ordinances that act as an initial stage. From this decree that the MME issues, the entrepreneurs go to the national grid operator to obtain the access opinion and, in the future, the contract," said the MME's secretary for energy transition and planning, Thiago Barral, in a press release.

Hybrid vessel

Oil company Equinor, in collaboration with CBO and Wärtsilä, has completed the hybridization project for CBO Wiser. 

The PSV (platform supply vessel) now has a battery bank installed and is using both diesel and electricity as fuel. 

The initiative, a pioneer in Brazil, is expected to reduce the vessel's CO2 emissions by up to 30%. 

Offshore wind

Corio Generation and Estaleiros do Brasil (EBR) have signed an MOU to study the suitability of the port facilities at São José do Norte, near the port of Rio Grande in Rio Grande do Sul state, for future offshore wind projects.

Together, Corio and EBR will analyze how the local infrastructure can support the implementation of two wind farms planned for the south of the country – Cassino Offshore Wind (1,200MW+) and Rio Grande Offshore Wind (1,170MW+). The companies will also evaluate reserving an area that could be used as a base for the projects.

Onshore wind

Electric power watchdog Aneel has authorized the start of commercial operations of another nine generating units at the Coxilha Negra wind farm, being developed by Eletrobras in the municipality of Sant'Ana do Livramento in Rio Grande do Sul. 

Currently, the Coxilha Negra 02 wind farm has 23 turbines operating commercially.

With an estimated investment of more than 2bn reais, Coxilha Negra will have 72 wind turbines totaling 302MW of installed capacity.

M&A

Cemig Geração e Transmissão, a subsidiary of Cemig, has concluded the sale of its 45% stake in Aliança Energia to Vale. 

The closing price was 2.74bn reais.