Hydrogen economy development in Brazil: An analysis of stakeholders' perception

The aim of this article is to explore stakeholders' experiences, perceptions, and expectations in Brazilian hydrogen economy development. This is an essential input to define efficient public policies and strategy and convince stakeholders to invest in the hydrogen chain value. In order to understand the vision of the main stakeholders of the Brazilian hydrogen economy, a literature and documental analysis, complemented by interviews and questionnaire-based surveys with 32 experts of five categories (companies, governmental entities, research centers, associations, and universities) were performed. The results showed that, in the long-term vision, interviewees highlighted decarbonization as a key strategic advantage for hydrogen economy development in Brazil. Interviewees affirmed that, as Brazil already has a high share of renewable energy in its electricity mix and potential renewable power capacity additions, production of competitive low-cost green hydrogen is possible. On the other hand, the potential of low-carbon hydrogen production from fossil fuels combined with carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is still a limited technology in the country. Nevertheless, Brazil needs to address challenges such as scaling up, cost reduction, and adoption and sustainable growth of hydrogen-based technologies. A majority of the interviewees foresaw that a well-established Brazilian hydrogen economy would become a reality at medium term (between 6 and 10 years). Opportunities for green hydrogen were highlighted in the cement, mobility, and fertilizer sectors. Nonetheless, a strong difference can be observed among the different categories about the maturity of hydrogen in the national context. While government entities believe in the medium term (6-10 years), companies foresee that technical and economic maturity will be reached in the long term (more than 11 years) In addition, economic, technical, normative, and social barriers were identified. The results show that Brazilian government needs to create a long-term policy framework that could build up confidence in private investment, create market demand with policy interventions, develop standards and regulations to remove obstacles for the market growth and provide enhanced R&D support. If the current initiatives are driven by the interaction with foreign players, a program centered to the synergy with Brazilian energy matrix and long-term economy planning is recommended. In terms of R&D, the creation of a specific funding program can be considered a strong tool to approximate efficiently and rapidly the industry to the academy through the development of ad hoc solutions to develop the market of hydrogen commodities. (c) 2022 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The aim of this article is to explore the experiences, perceptions, and expectations of stakeholders in the development of the hydrogen economy in Brazil. The results show that decarbonization is a key strategic advantage for Brazil's hydrogen economy development, with the potential for competitive low-cost green hydrogen production. The majority of interviewees foresee a mature Brazilian hydrogen economy in the medium term, with opportunities in sectors such as cement, mobility, and fertilizer. However, there are challenges and barriers that need to be addressed, including scaling up, cost reduction, and the adoption of hydrogen-based technologies.