(Petrobras, 6.Aug.2024) — Petrobras signed a protocol of intentions with the State Government and Federação das Indústrias do Espírito Santo (Findes) to study CCUS and low-carbon hydrogen projects. One of the goals is to assess the feasibility of implementing a CCUS HUB and facilities to produce low-carbon hydrogen for decarbonizing the state’s industries. The Vice Governor of Espírito Santo, Ricardo Ferraço; The State Secretary of the Environment and Water Resources, Felipe Rigoni Lopes; The President of Findes, Paulo Baraona; Petrobras’s Executive Energy Transition Manager; Petrobras’s General Manager for Espírito Santo Business Unit, Eduarda Lacerda; and the Carbon Capture, Use, and Storage Manager, Cláudio Ziglio, attended the signing.
“Petrobras is the world’s largest CO2 capturer, accounting for about 25% of last year’s total. This experience qualifies us to design and build CCUS HUBs, a crucial technology for achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction targets by 2050. This contributes to addressing the climate crisis and promoting a just energy transition. The protocol signed today is an important initiative for the company, which is evaluating other project opportunities across the country. We have reduced GHG emissions and identified synergies with the state of Espírito Santo,” stated Nozaki.
Espírito Santo has significant industrial sectors, and Petrobras has infrastructure in the state that can be leveraged for CCUS projects and extensive geological knowledge of the region’s basin. There are initial plans to install CO2 handling equipment in areas near the Espírito Santo coast and offshore to reach storage reservoirs. Petrobras will be responsible for investments in pipelines, compression stations, wells for CO2 storage, and eventually for the operation of this Hub.
The state aims to be Net Zero in emissions by 2050, as detailed in the Decarbonization Plan launched in 2024. The CCUS solution is among the strategies ES will pursue to achieve this goal. Petrobras already has partnerships with local companies to facilitate CCUS projects. The dialogue between the private and public sectors is part of the efforts to find decarbonization solutions essential for a just energy transition.
According to Secretary of State for Environment and Water Resources Felipe Rigoni, the protocol signed with Petrobras represents a significant strategic milestone for sustainable development and a cleaner energy transition for Espírito Santo, in addition to advancing projects and studies that will consolidate the state as a green industrial hub.
“It is essential to build collaborative and secure paths for producing sustainable hydrogen and to consolidate ideas and innovations for carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Espírito Santo has been developing this workflow with public policies promoting renewable energies, solidifying partnerships, and creating economic opportunities. This commitment, made by the State Government at the Climate Conference in Glasgow, aims to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050,” explained Rigoni.
“For Findes, being part of this initiative is highly relevant, as it aligns with what the industry is increasingly seeking: finding solutions that contribute to a low-carbon future and strengthen the energy transition movement in our state and country. We believe that, through this agreement, we will be able to identify commercial opportunities and generate potential partnerships that align with strategies for diversifying the energy matrix and decarbonization. The industry has increasingly led this agenda, and Findes is a great enthusiast and promoter of developing technologies and innovations that help make businesses more efficient, productive, and sustainable,” emphasized Paulo Baraona, President of Findes.
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MAIN PHOTO CAPTION: Rúbya Salomão, the Executive Secretary of the Espírito Santo Oil, Gas and Energy Fórum; Cláudio Marcos Ziglio, Petrobras’s Carbon Capture, Use, and Storage Manager; Felipe Rigoni, the State Secretary of the Environment and Water Resources; Paulo Baraona, the President of Findes; William Nozaki, Petrobras’s Energy Transition Executive Manager; and Eduarda Lacerda, the General Manager for the Espírito Santo Business Unit
