Under the cooperation agreement between the companies, the partnership will focus on validating hydrogen-to-ethanol technology through the construction of two plants which will produce 5kg of hydrogen per hour, with intentions of establish a plant 10 times larger at a later date.

For the production of hydrogen, biofuel will be supplied by Raízen, using technology developed and manufactured by Hytron, supported by the SENAI Institute for Innovation and Biosynthetics and Fibres from SENAI CETIQT, seeing Shell Brazil offer financial support.

Mateus Lopes, Director of Energy Transition and Investments at Raízen, said, “Local, decentralised, low-investment production of renewable hydrogen through ethanol reform is an interesting alternative for sectors such as heavy transport, which have a significant growth perspective in the use of this solution, whose availability and scalability are essential.”

H2 View understands the agreement also includes the development of a hydrogen refuelling station on USP’s campus in the City of São Paulo, which will facilitate the use of a hydrogen-powered bus used by students and visitors to Cidade Universitára.

“The technology can be easily installed at conventional gas stations, which would not require changes to the distribution infrastructure, ensuring that hydrogen will be ready to fuel vehicles quickly and safely,” explained Alexandre Breda, Low Carbon Technology Manager at Shell Brazil, and Deputy Executive Director of the Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RCGI). “The use of hydrogen is not restricted to the transport sector and will benefit other segments in the country, with regard to the replacement of fossil energy sources.”

Marcelo Veneroso, CEO of Hytron, commented, “We are excited to see that a project that started as a dream of students within the university now becomes a high-impact solution for the energy transition of the country and the world.”

Julio Meneghini, Executive and Scentific Director of the RGCI at USP, added, “This initiative is a pioneer in the large-scale production of renewable hydrogen from ethanol.”

Carlos Carlotti Jr. Dean of USP, said, “USP will become a major research laboratory in the area of ​​renewable energies and sustainable development. In this project, we will study the energy feasibility of extracting hydrogen from ethanol and using it in circular buses, and the solutions found can be transferred to our cities. It has been fundamental for USP to partner with companies that value scientific research as a means of social transformation.”