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Project country: Brazil

Sector: Energy

Expert partner: LEVE

The goal of this skill-share was to support the Brazilian Government and energy sector to build the basis for a national low-carbon hydrogen programme. Specifically, the skill-share focused on repurposing oil and gas infrastructure to support Government ambitions in shifting the energy sector towards producing hydrogen. Stakeholders expressed a particular interest in UK business models that could sustain this shift, as well as the process from a hybrid model to a fossil fuel free model and the impact of these transitions. 

Stakeholders included the Brazil's Empresa de Pesquisa Energética (EPE), SUAPE Port and the State of Pernambuco Government, the State of Rio Government, Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), and Senai-PE: the government hub for industrial learning and technology.  

Key Actions:  

• The expert met with Brazil’s EPE and Port of SUAPE to deliver a series of workshops to better understand the actions needed to integrate the hydrogen sector and develop a regulatory framework. This included visits to Recife to understand the environment on-the-ground and Rio de Janeiro to gather insights on the potential for hydrogen in Brazil.
• Workshops covered:
  • Maritime policies for low carbon deep sea shipping and transportation
  • Different hydrogen sources and oil and gas conversion
  • The UK's Hydrogen Strategy and Governance
  • Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS), carbon removal technologies and strategies
  • Blue and turquoise hydrogen
  • Maritime decarbonisation
• The expert produced a final recommendations report summarising the potential of hydrogen in Brazil, based on the findings and insights gathered from their visit

Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) was incorporated into the content of the presentations delivered, suggesting criteria to be applied under GESI policies and discussed further in open discussions and panels. The expert shared case studies applying gender equality (in terms of diversity) and social inclusion throughout discussions to allow for further reflection. SUAPE also presented evidence of good GESI practices within their company for discussion.  

 

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• The skill-share helped Brazil’s Empresa de Pesquisa Energética (EPE) to reinforce, and highlight the diversity of approaches, routes, and possible business models for hydrogen and to better explore how this is important for Brazil.  
• The support raised awareness of the importance of a comprehensive approach on business models, technology spectrum, regulation, and policy design for hydrogen markets.
• Brazil’s EPE and Port of SUAPE have gained a better understanding of the actions needed to integrate the Hydrogen sector and develop a regulatory framework and transition plan to decarbonise the energy sector, specifically heavy industry and transport.
• This skill-share will support Brazil’s EPE and Port of SUAPE to act as major advocates on the hydrogen political agenda and regulation. By adopting the recommendations on how to repurpose oil and gas infrastructure for hydrogen, this will build the basis for a national low-carbon hydrogen programme in Brazil.