Shell avança no projeto de etanol para hidrogênio
Os planos da Shell para produzir hidrogênio à base de etanol em uma planta-piloto estão evoluindo, à medida que a empresa mira no potencial do biocombustível para a transição energética.
"Faremos uma escala de 5kg/hora para ver se o reformador funciona como esperamos", contou à Argus Olivier Wambersie, gerente de Tecnologia e Inovação da Shell Brasil, durante um evento sobre descarbonização, nesta semana. "Podemos [aumentar a capacidade para] 50kg/hora depois disso."
Em agosto, a empresa informou que a capacidade de produção seria 4,5kg/hora.
A companhia está construindo uma unidade piloto no campus da Universidade de São Paulo (USP) para converter etanol em hidrogênio verde, com previsão de início das operações para o fim de 2024. A empresa sucroalcooleira Raízen — joint venture entre o conglomerado de logística e energia Cosan e a Shell — fornecerá o biocombustível para o projeto de R$50 milhões.
A Shell planeja usar a planta para testar o reformador e, por enquanto, não foca em seu retorno comercial, afirmou Wambersie. "É uma nova tecnologia. Irá demorar, mas depois do aprendizado, talvez possamos construir uma planta dez vezes maior", ele adicionou.
O uso do etanol pode evitar que a empresa precise transportar e estocar hidrogênio, o que é um processo complexo, devido ao tamanho da molécula, ele disse. "É possível converter etanol em hidrogênio aqui no Brasil ou em qualquer país que precise do [gás] renovável."
O hidrogênio verde é visto como um possível combustível limpo para setores de difícil descarbonização, como frete de longo curso, marítimo e de aviação.
"O uso do gás renovável para caminhões de longa distância faz mais sentido, pois seu competidor – o caminho elétrico – não é uma boa opção para grandes distâncias", afirmou Wambersie. Operações em minas talvez também sejam um bom destino, ele acrescentou, dado que elas, normalmente, ficam em regiões remotas, com problemas de abastecimento de energia.
Etanol de carbono negativo
A Shell Brasil também está considerando outros caminhos para a descarbonização com o etanol, como um projeto de captura e armazenamento de carbono pela rota da bioenergia (BECCS, na sigla em inglês) para tornar a produção de etanol da Raízen carbono negativa.
"Temos um lugar onde, provavelmente, vamos fazer um teste, mas ainda estamos entendendo a etapa do subsolo", Wambersie disse à Argus. A Shell não estabeleceu uma localização para o poço definitivo, mas este será no estado de São Paulo, perto das usinas da Raízen.
A Raízen deve se juntar à produtora de etanol de milho FS e à empresa sucroalcooleira Uisa, que já possuem planos de BECCS para injetar CO2 da produção de biocombustível em suas usinas no Mato Grosso.
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