The world's first ethanol reforming hydrogenation station was launched in Brazil

On August 10, the world's first experimental ethanol-based renewable hydrogen (H2) fueling station was launched on the campus of the University of Sao Paulo (USP) in Brazil.

Covering an area of 425 square meters, the pilot plant can produce 4.5 kilograms of hydrogen per hour and fuel up to three buses and one light vehicle. Under the terms of research and development established by Brazil's National Agency for Oil, Gas and Biofuels (ANP), Shell Brazil will provide an investment of R $50 million (approximately $10 million) for the research and development project. The station was developed in collaboration between Hytron, Raizen, SENAI CETIQT and the University of Sao Paulo through the Greenhouse Gas Innovation Research Center (RCGI). To test the feasibility of the project, a memorandum of understanding was also signed with Toyota. The experimental site is expected to be operational in the second half of 2024.

"The goal of this innovative project is to try to prove that ethanol can be a vehicle for the production of renewable hydrogen, using existing logistics equipment in the industry." Technology can help decarbonize industries that consume fossil fuel energy, "said Cristiano Pinto da Costa, CEO of Shell Brazil.

Equipment to be installed at the site includes an ethanol steam reformer developed and manufactured by Hytron. It is in this facility, through a chemical process called steam reforming, that ethanol will react with water inside the reactor at specific temperatures and pressures to convert ethanol into hydrogen. "We contributed Hytron's pioneering technology in Brazil to demonstrate a disruptive solution through which ethanol to hydrogen will play a more significant and impactive role in the local and global energy transition," said Daniel Lopes, Commercial director of Hytron.

During the operation of the experimental station, the researchers will verify the emissions and cost calculations of the hydrogen production process. "Our current estimate is that the cost of producing hydrogen from ethanol is comparable to the cost of producing hydrogen through natural gas reforming, as has been done in Brazil. In turn, its emissions are comparable to the hydroelectricity electrolysis process for wind power, "said Julio Menegini, scientific director of the RCGI.

The ethanol needed to produce the hydrogen will be supplied by Raizen, the world's largest producer of sugarcane ethanol. Currently, ethanol is transported from the production site to its destination by tank trucks, which have a capacity of 45,000 liters (equivalent to about 6,000 kilograms of hydrogen). This vehicle of the same specification can only transport 1,500 kilograms of gaseous compressed hydrogen, only a quarter of the former. Another advantage of this solution is that it can be easily replicated globally due to the lower cost of transporting biofuels. Ricardo Mussa, CEO of Raizen, believes that "renewable hydrogen produced from ethanol will play an important role in the energy matrix in the coming decades, mainly because it greatly reduces the challenges of transporting and distributing products." Renewable hydrogen can leverage existing ethanol infrastructure at fueling stations to ensure fast, sustainable and safe fueling of vehicles."

SENAI CETIQT's SENAI Institute for Biosynthesis and Fiber Innovation will conduct computer simulations to improve the efficiency of the device, identify opportunities for improvement, and increase the rate at which ethanol is converted to renewable hydrogen. "We are very excited to be a part of this revolutionary project. We will focus on advanced solutions and the bioeconomy, and we will work closely with our partners to optimize the ethanol reformer and help Brazil and the world realize this promising technology, "said Institute manager Jo Levinson. o Bruno Bastos.

The hydrogen produced at the site will fuel the buses of the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Transport Company (EMTU/SP), which operate only on the university campus. In order to test the performance of hydrogen, Toyota provided the Mirai, the world's first large-scale commercial hydrogen vehicle, to the project. "Brazil is a strong advocate for biofuels. We see hydrogen as a clean, renewable energy source that plays an important role in reducing CO2 emissions. Our participation in this project is the first step for the company to test the use of this new technology in the country. We are interested and willing to work with the state government to make sustainable transportation possible by using renewable hydrogen extracted from ethanol, "said Rafael Chang, CEO of Toyota Brazil.