White Martins, and Pecém Complex signed an MOU to collaborate on the green hydrogen hub in Ceará, Brazil. The partnership aims to establish and develop the potential of local production, focused primarily on exports to Europe. With the signing of the MOU, the Pecém Complex will provide support to map new business opportunities for the production and supply of green hydrogen by White Martins.

Through this initiative, the Ceará government will intensify the production of hydrogen, from renewable energy sources, to promote the socioeconomic, technological and environmental development of the state, promoting its use in industry and transportation. In addition, the goal is to make Ceará a global supplier of H2V, thus contributing to the reduction of global levels of CO2.

"In this partnership, we identified the possibility of innovating in the production and supply of clean energy with investments in the green hydrogen value chain, taking advantage of the synergy of the White Martins air gases plant already existing in the Pecém Industrial and Port Complex," said Director of White Martins Liquefied Natural Gas, Guilherme Ricci. "This project is in line with Linde's global strategy for growth in the green hydrogen market. In addition, taking into account the characteristics of the region, which has a state-of-the-art industrial park and renewable energy production capacity, we have a positive expectation of making a venture that could be a great differential for our country."

Differences of the Pecém

The Pecém Complex's shareholders, the Government of Ceará (70%) and the Port of Rotterdam (30%), are working with several partners for the development of a large-scale hydrogen network in its port complex, with the intention of transforming the Port of Rotterdam into an international hub for the production, import, application and transport of hydrogen to Europe. Thus, the project to be developed between White Martins, its partners and the Pecém Complex may have the Port of Rotterdam as the port of entry into Europe.

In addition, the Pecém Complex has a privileged location connected to the main maritime routes connecting Europe and the U.S., as well as a competitive logistical cost due to its proximity to the markets, which represents a differential in the total cost of H2V. It also has an available area and the necessary industrial and port infrastructure, in addition to the tax benefits of SPAs, which can represent an important reduction in the opex and capex of the possible investor.

The Pecém Complex also has a robust electrical network, with transmission line infrastructure compatible with the demands of the electrolysis plants; gas distribution network that connects the complex, which can be used to transport H2V between areas of production and industrial consumption; and industries already installed, potential consumers of Green Hydrogen.

The potential domestic market for green hydrogen to be developed in the Pecém Complex, includes companies already installed in the steel, fertilizer, cement, mining sectors and also the Companhia de Gás do Ceará (Cegás).