The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology

EDP pilot hydrogen plant for Brazilian port complex

(Posted on 13/09/21)

The Governor of Ceará in Brazil, together with executives from EDP have jointly announced that EDP will invest a total of R$41.9 million in a pilot project for the production of a green hydrogen plant in Pecém Industrial and Port Complex, with a production capacity of 250 Nm3/h of the gas. Its operation should start as early as December 2022. EDP will have a solar plant of 3 MW providing renewable energy to an electrolyzer from Hytron-NEA.

EDP already is operational in Industrial Area of Pecém Complex with a 720 MW power plant and this investment in Research & Development can bring insights into energy transition of its own plants and help EDP become a player in green hydrogen through scaling up production.

Pecém Industrial and Port Complex together with its shareholders State Government of Ceará and The Port of Rotterdam is extremely happy with this development as it marks the first stepping stone of the green Green Hydrogen HUB Pecém – Ceará.

“EDP is already our partner, as it has been operating in Pecém Complex since 2012. In the last five years alone, the company has handled 8.6 million tons of cargo with us. This is, therefore, a pioneering investment in Brazil and in the world, since few places on the planet currently have H2 plants. It is something revolutionary with a strong sustainable impact. Therefore, we thank EDP for believing in the state of Ceará, for believing in Pecém", said Mr. Danilo Serpa, CEO of Pecém Complex.

The project “Green Hydrogen HUB Pecém - Ceará” was launched in February of this year by the Government of Ceará, Pecém Industrial and Port Complex (CIPP S/A), Federation of State Industries (Fiec) and Federal University of Ceará (UFC). This project has attracted companies interested in operating in the Green Hydrogen value chain, which ranges from renewable energy generation, to production, storage, distribution and consumption of green hydrogen, including for export.

In response to the news, Port of Rotterdam’s international hydrogen team members and management are extremely pleased with the fact that EDP, as a joint relation of the Ports of Rotterdam and that of Pecem - through various connections and projects - is going to be one of the very first to start producing green Hydrogen in Brazil and warmly congratulates the State of Ceará and the Port with this accomplishment. Also, the team expresses their appreciation of EDP as a frontrunner in sustainable transitions with a solid Industrial track record, both in Europe and in Brazil.