O Government of Paraná will allocate R$3 million for research into the production of green hydrogen (H2V), one of the main global bets when it comes to the energy transition to a low-carbon economy.
A creation of NAPI-H2 (New Research and Innovation Arrangement) is an initiative that involves Araucária Foundation and the Federal University of Paraná, who already have important work on the topic.
The general objective of NAPI-H2 is to structure the creation of a research and innovation network in the area of low-carbon renewable hydrogen in Paraná, seeking to articulate actions that involve public and private institutions, in order to mainly boost the development of technologies, the provision of services, and the training of specialized human resources.
According to the Secretary of State for Planning, Guto Silva, Paraná wants to be a protagonist in the development of renewable energy and also green fertilizers, another chain derived from renewable hydrogen – aimed at the decarbonization of industry, in addition to forming new, competitive economic activity , which generates employment and value.
To get an idea of the demand for green fertilizer – a product obtained from H2-based synthesis gas – 80% of the domestic fertilizer market depends on imports, which reached around 9 million tons per year, a demand that , from the point of view of imported nitrogen fertilizers, doubled between 2008 and 2018.
NAPI-H2 will contribute significantly to the advancement of the State in this area, according to the president of Fundação Araucária, Ramiro Wahrhaftig, as it is a horizontal model organization, which involves several institutions, with universities in Paraná involved and other partner science and technology entities. , whether national or international.
“Paraná has exceptional assets in the area of research and development of renewable hydrogen, and studies adapted to the State’s reality. The expectation is that NAPI will monitor and develop the best global practices in the area, but focused on local needs”, he says.
With a project execution period of 36 months, NAPI-H2 brings together, in its initial configuration, 20 researchers, eight CNPq scholarship holders, six state universities and one foreign university, in addition to 13 laboratories, companies and research institutes, government entities and associations.
