December 5 (Renewables Now) – The Brazilian state of Ceara on Friday granted environmental approval for a 4.6-GW solar photovoltaic (PV) project which will generate power for the production of green hydrogen in Brazil’s northeast.
The approval was given by Ceara’s state council on the environment Coema.
The Kuara Solar Complex is being developed by Brazilian energy firm Omega Energia SA (BVMF:MEGA3) in the municipalities of Aracati and Icapui. The PV complex will consist of 8 million solar panels, covering an area of some 8,000 hectares (19,768 acres).
No financial information was disclosed in the press release.
According to the local government, Kuara’s output will be used to power a green hydrogen plant that a unit of Australian Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) is planning to build in the northeast of Brazil.
Last month during the COP 27 summit in Egypt, Ceara and Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) reaffirmed their plan under which large-scale green hydrogen production could begin in the state as early as 2027.
The feasibility studies on the project are underway and if the results are positive, FFI expects to make a final investment decision by 2024.
Under the deal with the Australian investor, the state of Ceara has pledged to encourage large-scale investments in the development of a green hydrogen hub in the Pecem Industrial and Port Complex, as well as to help provide investment and legal certainty.
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