Renewable energy is in the center of potential businesses between Rotterdam and Rio Grande do Sul

Promoting information exchange about opportunities of investments in Rio Grande do Sul (RS) and potential businesses in the region of Rotterdam, in Holland, were the objective of the meeting between representatives of the government of RS and from Rotterdam Partners, at the State Secretariat for economic Development, in Porto Alegre, RS.

Members of the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (FIERGS), Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in São paulo, NBSO Porto Alegre, Renewable Energies Industry Union of RS (Sindienergia) and of Portos RS were also present in the meeting.

One of the main topics was the generation of renewable energies – which is part of the commitment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the region of Rotterdam, in the quest to becoming neuter carbon until 2050. According to the manager of Business of Maritime Commerce of Rotterdam Partners, Eva Verschoor, today the entity is based on three principles to achieve this objective: biofuel, offshore wind generation and green hydrogen.

With an extension of 40 km, the port of Rotterdam wants to become the most important hub of green hydrogen in Europe, through the production of and importation of this new energy component.

“We have potential, but not capacity to meet all the demand. For this reason, we want to develop this path with other countries in order to bring this energy we need, specially on the collection of hydrogen to the industry and population as a whole. The idea is to establish Public and Private Partnerships”, explains Eva.

Rio Grande do Sul is a potential partner on this objective – specially the region of the port of Rio Grande – which facilitates both the production of hydrogen in large scale, as well as the logistic of implementation of offshore wind complexes. “Our focus includes the Port of Rio Grande. We have information that the gaucho port offers a hub for the distribution of energy, with the possibility of uniting offshore, nearshore and hydrogen”, says the representative of Rotterdam Partners. From the generation of green hydrogen, it also opens possibility for the production of ammonia and fertilizers in large scale. The Director of Operations and Sustainability of Sindienergia, Daniela Cardeal, reminded the importance of waterways as transportation alternative, with less emission of gases is another differential of the Port of Rio Grande. “The structure presents a railway connection that crosses the State in direction to Argentina”, she says.

The Planning manager of Porto RS, Fernando Estima, highlights that there is a favorable environment for this industry in the state. Besides the Port of Rio Grande, which is inside a hydro port complex, there is also the one in Pelotas, which has connection with the capital, Porto Alegre.

“There are more than 20 private terminals, nine of them are concessions for 25 years, more 25 years. We have three public areas and three ports: Rio Grande, Pelotas and Porto Alegre”, explains Estima.

The assistant secretary of Environment and Infrastructure if the State of RS, Guilherme de Souza, informed that RS is already going into the direction of the generation of renewable energy – like biogas and biomethane, as well as wind or solar generation. McKinsey has developed a plan to produce green hydrogen in the State – which will be announced in December. “We are privileged in terms of renewable energy. Our electrical mix is around 80 percent renewable. We don’t only encourage biogas and biomethane, but we also have plans of energy transition, for we count on 90 percent of coal reserves and we know that there are plans to reduce this participation in long term”. He also informs that the wind modal has been growing and that there is a gigantic potential.

“We have around 100 gigawatts potential and if we go to offshore this potential is even bigger. Our today’s capacity of generation is of 10 gigawatts, and we can multiply by ten or more”, says Souza.

The president of Sindienergia, Guilherme Sari, explains that, at the moment, there are 14 gigawatts in onshore environmental licenses – around 3 gigawatts are already granted so that they can be operated by 2026 and the rest of it during the process.

Others opportunities

Beyond energy matters, the State secretary of Economic Development, Joel Maraschin, has also informed about potential projects to receive investments from private enterprises, including road infrastructure, transmission line, construction of  prisons, privatization of Corsan, with an auction in December, regional airports and the Mauá Pier, in Porto Alegre.

Other names that participated in the meeting:

Wieneke Vullings – Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in São Paulo

Richard Posma –Chief Representative of the NBSO Porto Alegre

Lucila Almeida – Deputy Representative of NBSO Porto Alegre

Cristiane Gehrke – Investment Attraction Management – State Secretariat for Economic Development

Thaísa Lunelli – executive of the The Council on Foreign Trade (FIERGS

Gilmar Caregnatto  – infrastructure and foreign trade coordinator (FIERGS)