Brazil

Hydrogen is mainly produced by steam reforming of natural gas a non-renewable resource. Alternative and renewable routes for hydrogen production play an important role in reducing dependence on oil and minimizing the emission of greenhouse gases. In this work butanol a model compound of bio-oil was employed for hydrogen production by steam reforming. The reaction was evaluated for 30 h in a tubular quartz reactor at 500 ◦C atmospheric pressure GHSV of 500000 h−1 and an aqueous solution feed of 10% v/v butanol. For this reaction catalysts with 20 wt.% NiO were prepared by wet impregnation using three supports: γ-alumina and alumina modified with 10 wt.% of cerium and lanthanum oxides. Both promoters increased the reduction degree of the catalysts and decreased catalyst acidity which is closely related to coke formation and deactivation. Ni/La2O3– Al2O3 presented a higher nickel dispersion (14.6%) which combined with other properties led to a higher stability higher mean hydrogen yield (71%) and lower coke formation per mass (56%). On the other hand the nonpromoted catalyst suffered a significant deactivation associated with coke formation favored by its highest acidity (3.1 µmol m−2 ).

Currently the technology associated with charging stations for electric vehicles (EV) needs to be studied and improved to further encourage its implementation. This paper presents a new energy management system (EMS) based on a Biogeography-Based Optimization (BBO) algorithm for a hybrid EV charging station with a configuration that integrates Z-source converters (ZSC) into medium voltage direct current (MVDC) grids. The EMS uses the evolutionary BBO algorithm to optimize a fitness function defining the equivalent hydrogen consumption/generation. The charging station consists of a photovoltaic (PV) system a local grid connection two fast charging units and two energy storage systems (ESS) a battery energy storage (BES) and a complete hydrogen system with fuel cell (FC) electrolyzer (LZ) and hydrogen tank. Through the use of the BBO algorithm the EMS manages the energy flow among the components to keep the power balance in the system reducing the equivalent hydrogen consumption and optimizing the equivalent hydrogen generation. The EMS and the configuration of the charging station based on ZSCs are the main contributions of the paper. The behaviour of the EMS is demonstrated with three EV connected to the charging station under different conditions of sun irradiance. In addition the proposed EMS is compared with a simpler EMS for the optimal management of ESS in hybrid configurations. The simulation results show that the proposed EMS achieves a notable improvement in the equivalent hydrogen consumption/generation with respect to the simpler EMS. Thanks to the proposed configuration the output voltage of the components can be upgraded to MVDC while reducing the number of power converters compared with other configurations without ZSC.

This study shows the results for the first time of an glycerol alkaline-acid electrolyzer. Such a configuration allows spontaneous operation producing energy and hydrogen simultaneously as a result of the utilization of the neutralization and fuel chemical energy. The electroreformer—built with a 20 wt% Pd/C anode and cathode and a Na+ -pretreated Nafion® 117—can simultaneously produce hydrogen and electricity in the low current density region whereas it operates in electrolysis mode at high current densities. In the spontaneous region the maximum power densities range from 1.23 mW cm−2 at 30 ◦C to 11.9 mW cm−2 at 90 ◦C with a concomitant H2 flux ranging from 0.0545 STP m−3 m−2 h −1 at 30 ◦C to 0.201 STP m−3 m−2 h −1 at 90 ◦C due to the beneficial effect of the temperature on the performance. Furthermore over a chronoamperometric test the electroreformer shows a stable performance over 12 h. As a challenge proton crossover from the cathode to the anode through the cation exchange Nafion® partially reduces the pH gradient responsible for the extra electromotive force thus requiring a less permeable membrane.

In view of the GHG reduction targets to be met Brazilian researchers are looking for cleaner alternatives to energy sources. These alternatives are primarily to be applied in the transport sector which presents high energy consumption as well as high CO2 emissions. In this sense this research developed an LCI study considering two bus alternatives for the city of Rio de Janeiro: diesel-powered internal combustion buses (ICEB) and a hydrogen-powered polymer fuel cell hybrid bus (FCHB). For the FCHB three hydrogen production methods were also included: water electrolysis (WE) ethanol steam reforming (ESR) and natural gas steam reforming (NGSR). The research was aimed at estimating energy consumption including the percentage of energy that is renewable as well as CO2 emissions. The results show diesel as the energy source with the highest emissions as well as the highest fossil energy consumption. Regarding the alternatives for hydrogen production water electrolysis stood out with the lowest emissions.

This manuscript explores the role of green hydrogen produced through ethanol reforming in accelerating Brazil’s transition to a low-carbon economic framework. Despite ongoing efforts to lessen carbon dependence Brazil’s reliance on biofuels and other renewable energy sources remains inadequate for fully achieving its decarbonization objectives. Green hydrogen presents a vital opportunity to boost energy sustainability especially in sectors that are challenging to decarbonize such as industry and transportation. By analyzing Brazil’s input–output (I-O) table using data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) this study evaluates the macroeconomic potential of green hydrogen focusing on GDP growth and employment generation. Furthermore the research explores green hydrogen systems’ economic feasibility and potential impact on future energy policies offering valuable insights for stakeholders and decision-makers. In addition this investigation highlights Brazil’s abundant renewable resources and identifies the infrastructural investments necessary to support a green hydrogen economy. The findings aim to strengthen Brazil’s national decarbonization strategy and serve as a model for other developing nations transitioning to clean energy.

The Brazilian energy grid is considered as one of the cleanest in the world because it is composed of more than 80% of renewable energy sources. This work aimed to apply the levelized costs (LCOH) and environmental cost accounting techniques to demonstrate the feasibility of producing hydrogen (H2 ) by alkaline electrolysis powered by the Brazilian energy grid. A project of hydrogen production with a lifetime of 20 years had been evaluated by economical and sensitivity analysis. The production capacity (8.89 to 46.67 kg H2/h) production volume (25 to 100%) hydrogen sale price (1 to 5 USD/kg H2 ) and the MAR rate were varied. Results showed that at 2 USD/kg H2 all H2 production plant sizes are economically viable. On this condition a payback of fewer than 4 years an IRR greater than 31 a break-even point between 56 and 68% of the production volume and a ROI above 400% were found. The sensitivity analysis showed that the best economic condition was found at 35.56 kg H2/h of the plant size which generated a net present value of USD 10.4 million. The cost of hydrogen varied between 1.26 and 1.64 USD/kg and a LCOH of 37.76 to 48.71 USD/MWh. LCA analysis showed that the hydrogen production project mitigated from 26 to 131 thousand tons of CO2 under the conditions studied.

In this study the applicability of an integrated-hybrid process was performed in a divided electrochemical cell for removing organic matter from a polluted effluent with simultaneous production of green H2. After that the depolluted water was reused for the first time in the cathodic compartment once again in the same cell to be a viable environmental alternative for converting water into energy (green H2) with higher efficiency and reasonable cost requirements. The production of green H2 in the cathodic compartment (Ni-Fe-based steel stainless (SS) mesh as cathode) in concomitance with the electrochemical oxidation (EO) of wastewater in the anodic compartment (boron-doped diamond (BDD) supported in Nb as anode) was studied (by applying different current densities (j = 30 60 and 90 mA cm−2 ) at 25 ◦C) in a divided-membrane type electrochemical cell driven by a photovoltaic (PV) energy source. The results clearly showed that in the first step the water anodically treated by applying 90 mA cm−2 for 180 min reached high-quality water parameters. Meanwhile green H2 production was greater than 1.3 L with a Faradaic efficiency of 100%. Then in a second step the water anodically treated was reused in the cathodic compartment again for a new integrated-hybrid process with the same electrodes under the same experimental conditions. The results showed that the reuse of water in the cathodic compartment is a sustainable strategy to produce green H2 when compared to the electrolysis using clean water. Finally two implied benefits of the proposed process are the production of green H2 and wastewater cleanup both of which are equally significant and sustainable. The possible use of H2 as an energetic carrier in developing nations is a final point about sustainability improvements. This is a win-win solution.

In response to the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets set by the Paris Agreement green hydrogen has become a key solution for global decarbonisation. However research on the design of green hydrogen production facilities remains limited particularly in Brazil. This study bridges this gap by developing a comprehensive design for a green hydrogen production plant powered by an 81 MW photovoltaic (PV) system in Ceará Brazil. The facility layout equipment sizing and resource requirements were determined using the Systematic Layout Planning (SLP) method based on the available energy for daily hydrogen production. The design also integrates safety regulations including local standards in Ceará as well as raw material needs and production capacity. This study delivers a detailed facility layout specifying equipment placement and capacity based on the PV plant’s output while ensuring compliance with safety protocols. This research contributes to the green hydrogen literature by providing a structured methodology for facility design serving as a reference for future projects and fostering the advancement of green hydrogen technology particularly in developing countries.

Given the climate change observed in the past few decades sustainable development and the use of renewable energy sources are urgent. In this scenario hydrogen production through electrolyzers is a promising renewable source and energy vector because of its ultralow greenhouse emissions and high energy content. Hydrogen can be used in a variety of applications from transportation to electricity generation contributing to the diversification of the energy matrix. In this context this paper presents an autonomous isolated DC microgrid system for generating and storing electrical energy to be exclusively used for feeding an electrolyzer hydrogen production plant which has been retrofitted for green hydrogen production. Experimental verification was performed at Itaipu Parquetec which consists of an alkaline electrolysis unit directly integrated with a battery energy storage system and renewable sources (e.g. photovoltaic and wind) by using an isolated DC microgrid concept based on DC/DC and AC/DC converters. Experimental results revealed that the new electrolyzer DC microgrid increases the system’s overall efficiency in comparison to the legacy thyristor-based power supply system by 26% and it autonomously controls the energy supply to the electrolyzer under optimized conditions with an extremely low output current ripple. Another advantage of the proposed DC microgrid is its ability to properly manage the startup and shutdown process of the electrolyzer plant under power generation outages. This paper is the result of activities carried out under the R&D project of ANEEL program No. PD-10381-0221/2021 entitled “Multiport DC-DC Converter and IoT System for Intelligent Energy Management” which was conducted in partnership with CTG-Brazil.

Developing clean and renewable energy instead of the ones related to hydrocarbon resources has been known as one of the different ways to guarantee reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Geothermal systems and native hydrogen exploration could represent an opportunity to diversify the global energy matrix and lower carbon-related emissions. All of these natural energy sources require a well to be drilled for its access and/or extractions similar to the petroleum industry. The main focuses of this technical–scientific contribution and research are (i) to evaluate the global energy matrix; (ii) to show the context over the years and future perspectives on geothermal systems and natural hydrogen exploration; and (iii) to present and analyze the importance of developing technologies on drilling process optimization aiming at accessing these natural energy resources. In 2022 the global energy matrix was composed mainly of nonrenewable sources such as oil natural gas and coal where the combustion of fossil fuels produced approximately 37.15 billion tons of CO2 in the same year. In 2023 USD 1740 billion was invested globally in renewable energy to reduce CO2 emissions and combat greenhouse gas emissions. In this context currently about 353 geothermal power units are in operation worldwide with a capacity of 16335 MW. In addition globally there are 35 geothermal power units under pre-construction (project phase) 93 already being constructed and recently 45 announced. Concerning hydrogen the industry announced 680 large-scale project proposals valued at USD 240 billion in direct investment by 2030. In Brazil the energy company Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras Rio de Janeiro Brazil) will invest in the coming years nearly USD 4 million in research involving natural hydrogen generation and since the exploration and access to natural energy resources (oil and gas natural hydrogen and geothermal systems among others) are achieved through the drilling of wells this document presents a technical–scientific contextualization of social interest.