Brazil’s northeastern state of Ceará has secured a major endorsement of its clean energy ambitions as the World Bank approved a $134 million package to accelerate green hydrogen production at the Pecém Industrial and Port Complex (CIPP).
The operation—anchored by infrastructure development and policy reform—aims to place Ceará at the forefront of Brazil’s hydrogen economy, while addressing long-standing regional inequalities and global decarbonization goals.
Located on the Atlantic coast and strategically connected to international markets, CIPP has emerged as one of the country’s most advanced sites for clean hydrogen development. The World Bank-financed initiative is structured through an Investment Project Financing (IPF) model, combining a $90 million IBRD loan, $9 million from the Livable Planet Fund, and $35 million from the Climate Investment Funds’ Renewable Energy Integration (REI) Program. The funds are earmarked for enabling infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and investment incentives needed to attract private developers of green hydrogen and derivatives.
The investment marks the latest step in Brazil’s push to commercialize green hydrogen, especially in industrial zones with high renewable energy penetration. Ceará is uniquely positioned: despite being among Brazil’s least economically developed states, it boasts some of the country’s strongest wind and solar resources, as well as access to deep-water ports—a combination well suited to green hydrogen export ambitions.
The project draws heavily on lessons from previous World Bank hydrogen engagements in Chile and India, notably on permitting, offtake structure, and infrastructure sequencing. Early-stage financing for shared infrastructure—such as pipelines, desalination systems, and storage—can de-risk private investment and reduce costs, particularly in emerging markets.
The program is closely aligned with Brazil’s National Hydrogen Program, its revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the recently launched New Brazil Industry Policy. It also supports Ceará’s own “Plano Verde,” a roadmap to position the state as a centre for clean industrial development. Critically, the financing also aims to lay institutional groundwork to reduce risks for investors and integrate the hydrogen strategy with regional development priorities.
Beyond emissions reduction, the project seeks to tackle structural inequality in one of Brazil’s historically underserved regions. By anchoring a high-value green industry in Ceará, the initiative links global climate finance with local job creation, infrastructure improvement, and industrial diversification. At a time when global hydrogen investment is surging—yet still heavily concentrated in high-income countries—this initiative sets a precedent for equitable participation in the emerging hydrogen economy.
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