The Diplomat
The president of Iberdrola, Ignacio Sánchez Galán, has expressed to the Minister of Mines and Energy of Brazil, Alexandre Silveira, the Spanish company’s commitment to green hydrogen in that South American country.
In a meeting held on Monday at the Iberdrola headquarters in Madrid, Galán addressed the main current issues in the energy sector, especially in Brazil, with Alexandre Silveira, who has visited our country.
Silveira visited Iberdrola’s green hydrogen plant in Puertollano (Ciudad Real), the largest of this technology for industrial use in Europe. During the tour, company executives explained how green hydrogen can be a differential vector for advancing the energy transition for energy uses that are difficult to electrify, the group reported.
The CEO of Neoenergia – the Brazilian subsidiary of Iberdrola -, Eduardo Capelastegui, was also during the meeting and reinforced the company’s interest in investing in green hydrogen and derivatives in Brazil.
The energy company is confident that the recent approval of PL 2,308/2023 in the Federal Senate of the South American country, which establishes the regulatory framework for the production of green hydrogen, guarantees greater legal and regulatory security for decision-making by the investors. The company aims to be one of the catalysts for the advancement of this technology in the country.
Currently, Iberdrola’s Brazilian subsidiary has a green hydrogen research and development (R&D) project, supervised by the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel), for the implementation of a pioneering green hydrogen plant in Brazil. The plant, which is being built in Brasilia, is expected to open next year.
The unit will receive energy from a 150 kilowatt (kWp) photovoltaic plant and will help in the decarbonization process of segments that are still difficult to reduce CO2 emissions, such as transportation. This project will be one of the first green hydrogen supply points in the country for the supply of buses and light vehicles.
Neoenergia also has five cooperation agreements with governments and companies for low-carbon green hydrogen projects in Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul and Rio de Janeiro. In addition, it has specific projects, in an advanced degree of maturity, that could involve more than 500 million reais (about 86.3 million euros) in investments.
The visit occurs a few days after the approval by the Brazilian Government of a decree that regulates the early extension of electricity distribution concessions for 30 years.
In accordance with its 2024-2026 plan, the energy group will allocate a total of 4.5 billion euros to its Network activity in Brazil over the next three years.
Neoenergia has almost 730,000 kilometers of power lines in networks. Present in 18 states and the federal district of the country, Neoenergia has five electricity distributors and almost 4,500 renewable megawatts (MW) installed.
The Iberdrola subsidiary distributes electricity to around 40 million Brazilians through 16 million supply points. The company has a staff of more than 15,000 people and generates 28,000 jobs in the country through its activity.
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