Unigel and thyssenkrupp nucera sign Memorandum of Understanding to increase production capacity of green hydrogen plant

Unigel and thyssenkrupp nucera sign Memorandum of Understanding to increase production capacity of green hydrogen plant

• Signing ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding between Unigel and thyssenkrupp nucera as part of the visit to Brazil by Federal Minister Dr. Robert Habeck
• Intensification of German-Brazilian cooperation on green transformation
• Second phase of Unigel’s project foresees expansion from 60 MW to 240 MW

Belo Horizonte/Dortmund, March 13, 2023 – thyssenkrupp nucera and Unigel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase the capacity of the green hydrogen plant that Unigel is developing in Bahia, Brazil, from 60 MW to 240 MW of water electrolysis. The signing ceremony was held in Belo Horizonte, during the visit of the German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Dr. Robert Habeck. This is a key step for both companies continue their good collaboration to accelerate the green transformation through the development of the green hydrogen economy worldwide.

Unigel's facility will be the first industrial-scale green hydrogen plant in Brazil. It is planned to be delivered at the end of the year. In the first phase, the plant will have a total water electrolysis capacity of 60 MW with thyssenkrupp nucera standard electrolyzers and an initial production capacity of 10,000 tons/year of green hydrogen and 60,000 tons/year of green ammonia. Unigel is one of the largest chemical companies in Latin America and the largest producer of nitrogen fertilizers in Brazil. The new plant will be an important stimulus for the development of the entire region.

“Uniel's green hydrogen plant will be the first on an industrial scale in Brazil. We continue to negotiate strategic partnerships to enable the new phases of the project”, said Roberto Noronha Santos, CEO of Unigel. The green hydrogen and green ammonia will be offered to customers seeking to decarbonize their production chains such as the steel industry, oil refineries and ammonia producers. Green ammonia will also be used in Unigel's value chain, as it is a raw material for the production of fertilizers and acrylics.

"Brazil has not only set ambitious climate protection plans, but is also implementing them. This includes, in particular, consistently exploiting the opportunities offered by green hydrogen. This is because Brazil is one of the nations predestined to take on a key role in the green transformation by consistently exploiting the potential in renewable energies. With our technologies for the development of a hydrogen economy, we are making our contribution to paving the way for the green transformation," says Dr. Werner Ponikwar, CEO and Chairman of thyssenkrupp nucera AG & Co. KGaA.

Federal Minister Dr. Robert Habeck is traveling to Brazil and Colombia from March 11 to 15. The aim of the trip is to strengthen economic relations and climate cooperation with Brazil and Colombia. Brazil and Colombia play a key role in global climate protection. This year's EEBA (German-Brazilian Business Meeting) will take place in Belo Horizonte in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil, where Federal Minister Dr. Robert Habeck will hold talks with representatives from politics and business. Participation in the signing ceremony is part of the official agenda of the delegation.

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About Unigel:

Unigel is one of the largest chemical companies in Brazil, with a leading position in styrenics, acrylics and nitrogen fertilizers in Latin America. Founded in 1966, the Company is strategically located in Brazil (in the States of Bahia, Sergipe and São Paulo) and in Mexico (in the States of Mexico, San Luís Potosí and Veracruz). Present in people's daily lives, Unigel supplies essential inputs for the manufacture of final products in the home appliances and electronics, automotive, paints and coatings, civil construction, pulp and paper, packaging, health and beauty, textile, mining and agriculture markets.

About thyssenkrupp nucera:  

thyssenkrupp nucera offers world-leading technologies for high-efficiency electrolysis plants. The company has extensive in-depth knowledge in the engineering, procurement, and construction of electrochemical plants and a strong track record of more than 600 projects with a total rating of over 10 gigawatts already successfully installed. With its water electrolysis technology to produce green hydrogen, the company offers an innovative solution on an industrial scale for green value chains and an industry fueled by clean energy – a major step towards a climate-neutrality.

www.thyssenkrupp-nucera.com