White Martins, a Brazilian industrial gases firm, has signed a preliminary agreement with the Pecém Industrial and Port Complex (CIPP) to help create a green hydrogen hub in the country.
The Port complex, 60 kilometers from Fortaleza, will be developed by Enegix Energy, an Australian company, after a $5.4 billion investment and funding from White Martins.
White Martins plans to expand its existing industrial gases plant in the Port by adding new facilities for hydrogen production and distribution, ammonia production, hydrogen liquefaction, and hydrogen transportation.
This is due to the port’s reliable renewable energy grid, which is compliant with the electrolysis process’s electricity-intensive needs, as well as a gas distribution network capable of transporting hydrogen.
Multiple heavy industrial facilities currently exist at the Port complex, including steel, fertilizers, cement, and mining, with the latest hydrogen project aiming to produce new sustainable versions of each of these items.
The hub could be targeted for both European and domestic needs, with Rotterdam positioning itself as a hub for EU green hydrogen distribution and as a point of entry for the fuel coming from Brazil.