Panel SA: Government of Rio Grande do Sul wants hydrogen even in trucks

The Rio Grande do Sul government wants to boost the use of hydrogen as an input for factories and even as fuel for trucks.

According to the chief secretary of the Civil House of the state, Artur Lemos, the idea is, at first, to replace the gases in the refineries [por hidrogênio]🇧🇷 It would also be used in the production of methanol and fertilizers.

For the 2030s, the government estimates that the input should supply vehicles for road freight transport, leaving diesel aside.

“This is the most complex one, because I have to change the entire supply logistics infrastructure situation”, said Lemos to the column.

According to the secretary, this change should be made little by little, from the less complex sectors to those that demand more effort.

For this, the government of Rio Grande do Sul hired the consultancy of the American company McKinsey & Company to prepare a study, which should be released in January, on the inclusion of hydrogen in the energy matrix.

The goal is to make Rio Grande do Sul, which aims to neutralize local carbon by 2050, self-sustainable in terms of energy and increase the state’s contribution to the SIN (National Interconnected System).

The initiative takes place at a time when the industry is pressuring the president-elect, Lula, to recover the competitiveness of the sector, which was shaken during the administration of Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

Among the demands, the segment asks for the approval of a legal framework for the use of hydrogen as an industry input —which they consider to be less polluting and more efficient. In addition, they want a new norm for the carbon market and compensation for those who invest in clean energy.

Julio Wiziack (interim) with Paulo Ricardo Martins and Diego Felix