The “Hydrogen Route in São Paulo,” held on Wednesday morning (Nov 5), brought together representatives from various public institutions and companies interested in learning more about the initiatives that place Brazil at the forefront of the energy transition. The first stop was the pilot plant for hydrogen production from ethanol, developed by the Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RCGI-USP) and located at the University of São Paulo.
During the visit, the group was welcomed by Professor Thiago Lopes, coordinator of the Fuel Cell Laboratory at the Polytechnic School of USP, which is part of RCGI-USP. He explained that the plant operates at a pilot scale, with the capacity to produce around 100 kilograms of hydrogen per day through an ethanol steam reforming process — a technology that converts ethanol and water, under high temperatures, into high-purity hydrogen and biogenic carbon dioxide.
Developed in partnership with Shell Brazil, with an investment of BRL 50 million, the station brings together strategic partners such as Hytron, Raízen, and SENAI CETIQT. RCGI conducts performance tests on fuel cell vehicles — such as Hyundai’s Nexo, Toyota’s Mirai, and buses from Marcopolo — collecting technical data that may support the expansion of this technology and its future commercial application.
Among the visitors were three Hyundai executives: Fernando Yamaguti, Hydrogen Development Manager; Fábio Bonilla, ESG Manager; and Eduardo Fishmann, Government Affairs Executive. After the visit to USP, the group proceeded to the Institute for Technological Research (IPT), where they visited the newly inaugurated Hydrogen Laboratory (LabH2) and the Center for Future Energies (CENF).