The Brazilian oil giant, Petrobras, announced an investment of R$90 million (equivalent to about $18.4 million) in an ambitious research project focused on the production of green hydrogen and its potential application as a renewable fuel combined with natural gas in engines.

The state-owned company aims to establish a pilot electrolysis plant for the generation of green hydrogen, also known as low-carbon hydrogen, by processing water with energy derived from solar panels.

Located in Alto Rodrigues, a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (northeastern Brazil), the project will have an initial duration of three years and will be installed at an existing Petrobras facility, where an experimental photovoltaic generator is already in operation.

“The main purpose is to evaluate both the production and use of hydrogen obtained through the electrolysis of water using solar energy“, the oil company said in an official statement.

In addition, Petrobras intends to analyze “the performance and structural integrity of microturbines powered by a combination of hydrogen and natural gas.”

To meet the energy needs of the pilot electrolysis unit, the generation capacity of the solar plant at Alto Rodrigues will be increased from 1.0 to 2.5 megawatts peak.

Jean Paul Prates, President of Petrobras, quoted in the statement, said: “Among the benefits for the company is the development of knowledge about the behavior of the equipment depending on the mixture of hydrogen with natural gas, with a view to business models of interest to the company.”

K. Tovar

Source: ZBR

(Reference image: Social Mirror in Unsplash )

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