| Work Detail |
The new unit, which will have an investment of 90 million reais (16 million dollars), should be operational in 2026. The Alto Rodrigues photovoltaic plant will have its production increased from 1.1 MWp to 2.5 MWp, supplying the electrical demand of the 2 MW electrolysis pilot plant that will be installed.
Petrobras will build its first pilot plant for renewable hydrogen generation at the Vale do Açu Thermoelectric Power Plant, in Alto do Rodrigues, Rio Grande do Norte. The project, with a total budget of R$90 million and carried out in cooperation with the Senai Institute for Innovation in Renewable Energies (Senai ISI-ER), will feature work by WEG, a Brazilian company with a global reference in electrification. The test plant is scheduled to begin operating in the first quarter of 2026.
Renewable hydrogen will be generated through the process of electrolysis of water with solar energy, which consists of breaking down water molecules using an electric current, separating hydrogen and oxygen.
According to Petrobras Director of Energy Transition and Sustainability, Maurício Tolmasquim, this is a fundamental pilot project in the companys strategy to invest in decarbonization. "It is the first step towards future commercial initiatives in the sustainable hydrogen segment. The production of renewable hydrogen from the electrolysis of water using solar energy not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions, but also promotes the use of the countrys abundant and sustainable natural resources."
The Alto Rodrigues photovoltaic plant, originally built for research and development purposes, will see its production capacity increased from 1.1 MWp (peak megawatts) to 2.5 MWp, thereby supplying the electrical demand of the 2 MW electrolysis pilot plant to be installed. The electrolysis plant will be tested in different operating modes, taking advantage of the connection to the electrical distribution network and the energy storage system already installed at the unit.
The hydrogen produced will be used for power generation and in studies on its addition to natural gas, feeding microturbines whose performance and structural integrity will be tested by mixing these two components. It is worth noting that Petrobras is the first Brazilian company to study the effects of adding renewable hydrogen to natural gas in microturbines. |
