Petrobras, the state-controlled oil and gas giant in Brazil, plans to launch its first pilot green hydrogen plant by the first quarter of 2026, following an investment of BRL 90 million (USD 16.1 million/EUR 14.8 million).

Located at Petrobras’ gas-fired facility in Vale do Acu, Rio Grande do Norte, this project marks the company’s initial move toward future commercial ventures in the sustainable hydrogen sector, according to Mauricio Tolmasquim, Petrobras’ Director of Energy Transition and Sustainability.

As previously announced, the project is being developed in partnership with the SENAI-ER, Brazil’s renewable energy innovation institute. Petrobras also confirmed on Thursday that Brazilian electrical engineering firm Weg SA has been selected as the contractor for the construction.

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The pilot plant will feature a 2-MW electrolyser, which will be powered by the Alto Rodrigues solar farm. For this project, the solar farm will be expanded from its current 1.1 MWp capacity to 2.5 MWp.

The hydrogen produced will be used for power generation and to assess the viability of blending hydrogen with natural gas for microturbine operations. Petrobras also aims to test the performance of the turbines when using this hydrogen-gas mixture.

The electrolyser will be tested under various operating conditions, leveraging its connection to the power distribution grid and the energy storage system already in place at the facility, Petrobras added.