Shell, Raízen, and USP to produce hydrogen from ethanol

The University of So Paulo (USP) and Shell Brasil and Razen have formed a collaboration for the creation of sustainable hydrogen from ethanol provided by Razen.

It is intended to build two plants that can produce 5 kilograms of hydrogen per hour, and then to build a plant that can produce 44.5 kg of hydrogen per hour, which is 10 times bigger.

A vehicle fueling station will be built on the USP campus to replace the present combustion models, which are diesel-powered and carry students and guests to University City.

In a statement, Razen claimed that the plan, which has a start-up date of 2023, “emerges as a low-carbon option for heavy transport, including trucks and buses, with the first hydrogen ethanol station in Brazil and in the globe.”

Shell Brasil will invest around $50 million in the initiative under the Research and Development provision of the regulator ANP.

With assistance from the Senai Institute for Innovation in Biosynthetic and Fibers of Senai Cetiqt, Hytron of the German company Neuman & Esser (NEA) will develop and produce the technology.