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

Given this expectation of increased demand, brazilian companies also increased interest in investing in this "new energy commodity", according to the president of the Brazilian Hydrogen Association (ABH2), Paulo Emílio Valadão.

"A year ago we had only seven associated companies. Today we have 43, and another eight in the process of association. This shows interest in this area, with very interesting possibilities from the environmental and health point of view of the population," valadão said.

To be produced in the form of fuel, hydrogen requires a large amount of energy.

The production process of this gas does not make use of energy sources harmful to the environment.

Among the possibilities planned by the Brazilian authorities to account for this growing demand for alternative and sustainable energies, is to use the energy obtained from offshores (structures installed at sea), for the production of 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 little harmful – to the environment, which go beyond the energy generated by hydroelectric plants and wind and solar sources.

"We have very great 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 about US$ 1.4 per kilo of hydrogen produced. The one produced from electrolysis (a process that removes hydrogen from water) has a cost ranging from US$ 5 to US$ 7 dollars per kilo.

"This cost is estimated to be lower than that produced from fossil fuels," said the President of ABH2.

He adds that there are records of occurrences of natural hydrogen in at least four locations in the country meaning that in the future there will be wells producing natural hydrogen in Brazil.

Source: Canal Rural