The heads of the Advanced Institute of Technology and Innovation (IATI), Brazil’s only centre specialized in scientific research on green hydrogen, claimed that this renewable energy source will drive an “energy revolution” in the world and that the future of the transition is in Brazil.
According to Guilherme Cardim, the director-president of IATI, the reduction of solar and wind generation costs is making the production of green hydrogen viable worldwide. Green hydrogen, also known as renewable hydrogen (H2V), is generated through the process of “water electrolysis” and is intended for the production of fertilizers for agricultural activity, as well as fuel and industrial feedstock for pharmaceuticals.
Cardim explained that this new fuel will play a fundamental role in decarbonizing several production chains and replacing other polluting fuels, although he admitted that the process is still in the “transition” phase. IATI, located in Recife, inaugurated Brazil’s first green hydrogen production pilot plant in partnership with the Portuguese multinational EDP. The project received an investment of about nine million dollars and will serve for large-scale production.
Additionally, IATI is developing other innovative projects to generate green hydrogen from polluting gases and residual energy of photovoltaic circuits, using the heat of the panels to avoid “energy waste.” The institution is also working on creating green hydrogen tanks made of more resistant and less heavy materials to contribute to urban mobility solutions. The flagship initiatives of IATI include the transformation of carbon dioxide into clean energy, biotechnology, electric mobility, smart cities, energy storage, and computer science projects.
