English 
Spanish 
3 min read
Furnas is investing around R$45 million to advance green hydrogen studies in Goiás. The company seeks to insert energy into the SIN from renewable fuel
The Eletrobras subsidiary, Furnas, plans to inaugurate this Wednesday (8), at the Itumbiara hydroelectric plant, in Goiás, its first plant for the production of green hydrogen, which is part of a research and development (R&D) project. The objective, according to Furnas, is to continue with studies on energy storage and the insertion of electricity in the National Interconnected System (SIN), through the production of green hydrogen. The estimated investment by the company in the plant in Goiás is approximately R$ 45 million.
Read also
Understand how the production of renewable fuel will work at UHE Itumbiara
The green hydrogen plant in Goiás is part of the research project with contributions approved by the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel). According to the company, the mission is the evolution of synergy between solar and hydroelectric energy sources, with seasonal and intermittent energy storage in hydrogen and electrochemical systems.
One of the ways to generate green hydrogen is the electrolysis of water, where oxygen and gas molecules are separated into hydrogen. For renewable fuel to be called “green”, the energy source for electrolysis must come from clean sources such as, for example, wind energy or photovoltaic solar energy.
- China and Saudi Arabia turn desert into energy powerhouse with world's largest battery storage system
- Nuclear fusion has found the miracle it needed on the road to commercial power plants
- This is how Uruguay managed to reach 98% renewable ENERGY — see how they did it
- Abu Dhabi changes the game with solar energy: WORLD'S first 24/7 power grid
At the plant in Goiás, two sets of photovoltaic panels capture solar energy and generate about 1 MW, which is transmitted to equipment called an electrolyser, which through a process generates green hydrogen. Fuel is converted and stored in a special tank, which will feed a fuel cell. Through this fuel cell, the gas produces electricity that will be sent to the plant's substation in Goiás.
Project studies ways to store and dispatch electricity
Going beyond the feasibility of generating green hydrogen, which is a technology that has already been mastered, the Furnas project studies ways to store and dispatch electricity to meet the demand of the electrical system, which varies throughout the day.
In general, this dispatchable energy capacity for the SIN is distributed in Brazil, in generation from fossil sources, such as natural gas, coal and oil and in large hydroelectric plants with reservoirs.
Both here and in other countries, the electricity sector is looking for alternatives for storing clean energy, which needs the sun, rain and wind. In addition to green hydrogen, the alternatives are batteries and even hybrid power plants.
About Furnas
Furnas was founded in mid-1957 with the aim of avoiding the energy collapse that put the country's industrialization process at risk, implementing the first large-scale hydroelectric plant in Brazil, the Usina de Furnas.
Since then, the company has played a fundamental role in the evolution of Brazilian society. The company has facilities in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Paraná, Mato Grosso, Pará, Mato Grosso do Sul, Tocantins, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia, Ceará, Ceará, Santa Catarina , Bahia and the Federal District.
