Humans are responsible for approximately 50 billion tonnes of annual CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, an amount which has risen by an alarming 40 per cent since 1990. Brazil’s ‘Base One’ Hydrogen plant plans to be the single largest carbon emission reduction project in the world, reducing annual CO2 emissions by 10 million tons per year.
Feasibility studies are underway for the development of one of the world’s largest green hydrogen plants. Enegix Energy’s Base One facility, in Ceará, Brazil, when operational, will produce more than 600 million kg/yr of green hydrogen.
The hugely ambitious new-build electrolysis facility will be entirely powered by renewable energy, initially 3.4 GW of solar and onshore wind. The choice of the scoped 500 ha. site at Ceará in northeast Brazil for the US$5.4 billion investment, was influenced by its potential for renewable energy generation, and access to a strategic deep-sea port to enable the export of the hydrogen once produced.
Hydrogen is now a vital component in reducing and replacing reliance on fossil fuels for transport, electricity storage and generation, heating, and production of green chemicals and fertilizer. Across the globe, an increasing number of governments and businesses are engaged in designing developing, and constructing decarbonisation solutions to tackle the climate crisis.
Under the terms of the MoU signed with Camilo Santana the state governor, Enegix will establish what could be the world’s largest green hydrogen plant to produce over 600 million kg of green hydrogen per year, powered by the already contracted 3.4GW of combined baseload wind and solar power through a partnership with Enerwind.
With direct access to every major international market via ocean freight, Ceará is a strategic location for Enegix’s renewable hydrogen production. A world-class deepsea port with established infrastructure and access to the required quantities of water, the 500 hectares of commercial land in the Port of Pecém has been allocated as the perfect area for Hydrogen manufacturing by electrolysis, the process that will separate water into its hydrogen and oxygen elements. Being labelled as a ‘next-generation’ facility, Engix’s plant will be run entirely using renewable energy with zero emissions, which will ultimately enable Base One to be expanded to over 100GW to meet global demand.
“Our partnership with the Ceará State Government is a major milestone for the company. Base One will turn Ceará into a major hydrogen export location and establish Enegix as a global renewable power producer aligning with our vision and strategy to replace expensive, high emission power grids with renewable, baseload, and cost-effective zero-carbon grids. Through this partnership, we plan to create a new model of sustainable energy for the world’s fast-growing population while reducing dependency and cutting end-user costs on high carbon-emitting fuel sources like diesel.” says Wesley Cooke, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Enegix.
Positive social benefits to the state and local community will be far-reaching, as thousands of jobs will be created by the Base One facility during the construction phase, whereupon management of the facility will then require employment of hundreds of full-time operational staff.
“For us, hydrogen represents a version of the future we aspire to. A new way to power our lives without polluting and destroying what matters most, our home, the one we all share and must protect. It’s the catalyst for a new energy equality revolution that affords the chance to use this technology for good to address the plight of the billions of people without access to the basics; electricity, water and food who when left behind remain powerless to change their circumstances. A hydrogen economy is possible now, we must take the initiative and build it so that everyone can benefit from the universe’s most abundant element.” says Cooke.
Enegix will soon start the process of obtaining social and environmental licenses, having signed an MoU with a technical consultant and leading international engineering firm and to undertake a feasibility study. The project will take 3-4 years to build. Enegix is currently running an open capital round for investment partnerships.