09/28/2023 – 16:38
Between today, the 28th, and tomorrow, the 29th, Petrobras signs a memorandum of understanding with Vale to develop joint businesses. According to the president of Petrobras, Jean Paul Prates, the agreement will be broad for evaluations in several sectors, such as hydrogen, logistics, train fuel, among others.
“Vale is very interested in hydrogen production, it has some activities in energy transition that are interesting, it has interests in some areas of energy generation. So what we’re going to start doing is trying to understand what the other person has. We have fuel for railways, they have the logistics and may want to invest in offshore wind,” said Prates, after an event with Olympic athletes sponsored by the state-owned company.
He informed that a joint team will be formed to evaluate the possibilities between the two companies. “We can analyze fertilizers too, but not now. We want the partnerships to start this year or next year,” he explained.
Looking to the future
Prates said that the company reaches its 70th anniversary “with an eye on the future”, and reaffirmed the state-owned company’s intention to develop new businesses in the field of renewable energy, with a focus on offshore wind, hydrogen and renewable fuels. “We are not far from having an offshore wind and hydrogen reality,” he commented.
He highlighted the lack of regulation, which still hampers the company’s efforts.
Prates confirmed that the company’s next Strategic Plan, for the period 2024-2028, will have between 6% and 15% of capex (investment) directed to decarbonization. “And it’s more like 15% than 6%,” said the executive.
He highlighted the new businesses that the company intends to develop, with emphasis on offshore wind energy, which could reach 23 gigawatts (GW), if all the projects registered by the company for evaluation at Ibama get off the ground.
“Our objective is to launch renewable energy in the country, carbon capture and even hydrogen and other sources,” said Prates.
He then listed the company’s efforts to open new fronts, such as the agreement with WEG to produce a national wind turbine for land, but which, due to its size, “points the way” for offshore generation.
Prates also cited Petrobras’ efforts in measuring winds in Espírito Santo, Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte, in addition to the registration of projects with a total capacity of 23 GW and partnerships created with other multinational oil companies, such as Equinor and Total. “We want to make all these investments with partners, state or private, but at the same level as Petrobras,” he said.
“We are going to offshore wind, which has giant and complex structures. But, for us, it is ‘Playmobil’, much simpler”, he stated, comparing the activity with oil production and its mobilization of efforts, especially in deep and ultra-deep waters.
On the renewable fuel front, that is, with a processor using vegetable oil or 100% produced through them, Prates said that by the end of this year four more refineries will have this production, including the units in Paulínia (SP), Duque from Caxias (RJ) and Cubatão (SP). In 2024, he said, renewable fuels will reach Rnest, a unit in Pernambuco.
Regulation
Prates cited the urgency of regulatory frameworks for offshore wind and hydrogen, which do not yet exist, but would be advancing in Congress and within regulatory agencies.
According to Prates, the legislation for offshore wind will be closer to that used for oil, with payment of bonuses for maritime prisms, while that of hydrogen may have affinities with the current regulations for natural gas, also under the National Petroleum Agency, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP).
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