In every metal structure of cities, there is a past that involves emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere. Bridges, buildings, cars and ships are examples of steel constructions, an element that releases large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) when produced.
Concerned about this scenario, chemical engineer Patrícia Metolina thought of a solution to make steel industries more efficient and less polluting: use the so -called green hydrogen in the process of transforming iron ore into steel.
Her research – winner of the University of São Paulo Theses Award (USP) – is one of the examples of how hydrogen can be strategic in the energy transition needed to face global warming.
“In this case, in Brazil, we do not have this technology yet being developed in our steelmakers. But our research shows the potential of this process. In Sweden, for example, they have a pilot project and have been able to validate that it can be used industrially and marketed. There are large steelmakers that are investing a lot in this technology to produce this green steel and be able to slaughter CO₂ emissions,” says Patricia.
With an eye on these potentials, the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and the Energy Research Company (EPE) launched earlier this week Brazilian Hydrogeni Portalthe. The public platform online It aims to expand strategic information about the hydrogen sector in Brazil and attract new investors.
Green hydrogen is obtained from renewable energy, such as those of hydroelectric, solar and wind matrix. Simply put, the process involves using water tank electricity (H₂O) to separate hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂) molecules.
Hydrogen obtained can be transformed into fuel for aircraft, vessels and trucks; For ammonia production (NH3), the main raw material of nitrogen fertilizers used in agriculture; And for the manufacture of steel, as shown by Patrícia Metolina’s research.
Green steel
In the steel industry, it all starts with the extraction of iron ore from nature. It can present itself in the form of hematite (Fe2O3) or magnetite (Fe3O4). To obtain the iron (Fe) of this material, it is necessary to take the oxygen from the molecule. In traditional mode, iron ore is inserted in high temperature ovens that use coal bun. The result is the emission of large amounts of CO₂.
The steel industry is responsible for about one third of CO₂’s industrial emissions, according to data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and approximately 7% of global emissions, according to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Patricia’s method researched green hydrogen in a type of chemical reaction that dispenses the coal bun and the fusion of iron ore. The byproduct of the process is no longer CO2 to be just water vapor.
“Brazil has a set of advantages that can favor hydrogen production, because in Europe it is still very expensive. They do not have the same natural conditions, such as solar panels and wind turbines as we have. Here, we could produce hydrogen in the Northeast, for example, where there are eteric winds a nearby hydrogen and manufacture a green steel,” says Patricia.
Hydrogen potential
Estimates of Hydrogen Councilmultinational consortium interested in hydrogen expansion, point out that global hydrogen demand should increase five times by 2050. Worldwide, the calculation is over 1,500 clean hydrogen initiatives, growth seven times in three years.
Of the advertised investments, Latin America is the one that concentrates the second largest volume: $ 107 billion. And at this point, the fact that Brazil stands out for the use of renewable energy increases the sector’s expectations about the production of green hydrogen.
Currently, countries with the largest green hydrogen production projects in the world are Germany, Saudi Arabia, Australia, China, Chile, Spain and the Netherlands.
The Brazilian Association of Green Hydrogen Industry (Abihv) highlights five projects linked to the group that has the highest economic potential. They are led by the companies FortesCue, Casa dos Ventos, Atlas Agro, Voltalia and European Energy. They include production of nitrogen fertilizers, ammonia and methanol.
For 2026, the expectation is 63 billion investments to start projects. Most projects are concentrated in the Pecém complex in Ceará. But there are others in Uberaba, Minas Gerais, and at the Porto do Suape, Pernambuco.
“What we can say is that the hype From the Green Hydrogen, Ammonia and Methanol has passed and now we have real, settled projects, which are working on their cash flows, organizing the finances to stand up. So, the moment we are going through is the moment when you separate fictitious projects from real projects, ”said Fernanda Delgado, director of ABIHV.
“We start to have all this ecosystem set up, while companies are making their final investment decision and Brazil should start having ammonia and methanol production around 2029 or 2030,” he added.
Challenges
Despite the full potential and advancement of research, the implementation of green hydrogen still has a number of challenges ahead. Among the main ones, they are often highlighted by industry experts: high production costs because of expensive infrastructure and equipment; Lack of logistics infrastructure for transportation and storage; Need for a clear regulatory framework to attract investments; and dependence on water access to electrolysis.
The projects developed by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, through the coordination of postgraduate programs and engineering research (COPPE/UFRJ), are an example of the difficulties that the country has faced in the sector.
In August 2023, a green hydrogen production plant was inaugurated at the university campus. The project involved hydrogen production from water electrolysis, using photovoltaic energy. And from there, the use of hydrogen in industrial processes, in H2 -powered bicycles, and in solid oxide fuel piles.
The initiative was featured from Brazil-Germany cooperation for sustainable development. And involved four COPPE laboratories: Sustainable Transport Laboratory (Labts), Power and Medium Voltage Electronics Laboratory (Lemt), catalysis nucleus (Nucat), and hydrogen laboratory (Labh2).
Two years later, the researchers face difficulties in making the projects advance. Professor Andrea Santos, coordinator of the Sustainable Transport Laboratory (Labts), explains that the problems also start in the raw material of hydrogen production.
“Our first hydrogen production was not in good quality. It was not pure hydrogen. It had a contamination in samples around 3% oxygen. This for application, especially in mobility, is not suitable. I have to collect demineralized water from a laboratory to supply electrolyzers, because Cedae water [empresa privada de abastecimento de água no Rio de Janeiro] It is not adequate, ”explains Andrea.
The researcher explains that there is difficulty to maintain equipment. Of the nine electrolyzers who came from Germany, two are defective and need to be sent to the European country, who do not want to play their transportation. Without a national industry that produces this type of equipment, research costs are even more restricted.
Therefore, in the year of COP30, when the energy transition gains more space in the country, the teacher of COPPE/UFRJ expects new public and private investments to allow the advancement of research in hydrogen.
“We need resources to maintain, to publish articles, have a team working and operating the plant five times a week. There is really a lack of investments for research, development, creation of technical standards, certification and adequacy of infrastructure,” said Andrea Santos.
“There is this understanding that it is an alternative still expensive, so it is more comfortable that you keep the other pollutants that already exist. Any technology at first will cost more. But we can no longer use this excuse because of the urgency to make the energy transition. If you have this investment, the tendency is this technology cheaper and more competitive. In Brazil, we can produce this hydrogen at a lower cost,” he said.
