With a contribution of BRL 5 billion, Uberaba (MG) wins a fertilizer factory using green hydrogen
The Secretary for Economic Development, Tourism and Innovation of Uberaba, Rui Ramos, points out that the municipality is in full development and has a strategic position that benefits companies.
“Uberaba last year and at the beginning of this year has been one of the municipalities that has generated the most jobs in Brazil, according to Caged data. We have a fertilizer center here, which is our District III, which is one of the largest in South America. In this location we have a fantastic logistical position, we are equidistant around 500 kilometers from the main centers of consumption in Brazil, from the main capitals: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Goiânia and Brasília”, he says.
The City Council of Uberaba (MG) has already approved the concession of land from the government with approximately 1 million m² for the project. According to information from the Chamber, the land given is the same where an ammonia plant would be installed, which ended up not leaving the drawing board. According to the secretary, the works are on schedule.
“We are finishing the celebration of incentive contracts both from the municipality and the state and formalizing these contracts, in the next 30 days the company will start the engineering projects. It is an industrial complex along the lines of a refinery that involves a whole new technology. Projects are generally carried out abroad, so there is a long period of detailing the project, environmental licenses, installation licenses. The forecast is to start work in the second half of 2024 and start operations in 2027”, he explains.
According to Ramos, during the construction of the unit 2,000 direct jobs should be generated and after the operation, between 500 and 600 direct and indirect jobs.
future green hydrogen
A study carried out by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) on the prospects for the application of hydrogen in Brazilian industry identified that the refining and fertilizer sectors (consumers of gray hydrogen, which is produced from natural gas) have the potential for immediate use of sustainable options as a decarbonization strategy.
Data from the survey indicate that the refining sector tends to be the main customer, with around 74% of the hydrogen consumed in the Brazilian industry. The sectors of fertilizers and ammonia come next. The study also indicates that Brazil has potential for the production of ammonia from green hydrogen close to agribusiness, which currently consumes 87 thousand tons of hydrogen per year.
In the National Congress, the bill is being processed 1878/2022, which deals with incentives for green hydrogen and is under discussion at the Special Commission for Debating Public Policies on Green Hydrogen, where it is awaiting a rapporteur. Federal deputy Zé Vitor (PL-MG) highlights the state’s potential to promote increased production of inputs from renewable sources and thus generate more jobs and income for the population.
“Minas has been the scene of large investments due to several factors: the good alignment with the state government, the availability of qualified labor through a good network of service providers and product suppliers, and it shows how much we are willing to work by attracting more investments, which certainly means more jobs and income and the transformation of the lives of many families”, he emphasizes.
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By Brasil 61
