Chinese CGN plans giant renewable H2 complex in Brazil

The Brazilian subsidiary of Chinese renewables company CGN plans to build a large-scale green hydrogen complex in Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia together with domestic firm Quinto Energy.

The plant will be powered by a mix of solar and wind energy, and the project could potentially reach electrolyser capacity of 5.4GW to produce up to 750,000 t/yr of green hydrogen, Quinto told Argus. Output will be supplied to domestic markets and exported, the company said.

No date has been set for construction to start, Quinto said, but the agreement with CGN suggests it will happen "very soon".

Quinto's chief executive Rafael Cavalcanti said Bahia "will lead the process of green refineries in the world" due to its rich "solar and wind resources, interconnected transmission lines and a petrochemical complex connected to the Port of Aratu".

In addition to the planned project with CGN, Quinto is also developing a portfolio of five large-scale renewable energy projects in Bahia, worth a combined 46bn Brazilian reais ($9bn). The company is targeting renewable power production of 14GW, all of which would be used for production of renewable hydrogen and its derivatives. The five previously announced sites could together produce over 860,000 t/yr of hydrogen and 4.8mn t/yr of ammonia, Quinto said.

With large amounts of available land and vast renewable power generation potential, states in the northeast of Brazil have been ramping up efforts to attract investment to kick start renewable hydrogen projects. Ceara, home to the Port of Pecem, had been leading the race, but recent investments in the states of Piaui and Rio Grande do Norte show that interest is growing across the region.

By Pamela Machado