Brazil has established itself as a strategic epicenter of the green hydrogen economy, driven by substantial investments from its leading universities and research institutions. Between 2023 and 2026, the country mobilized over R$ 620 million in academic projects focused on low-carbon hydrogen, distributed across seven states and involving the country's main federal universities.
This transformation does not occur in isolation. While the Brazilian industrial sector has already accumulated R$ 188.7 billion in announced investments for green hydrogen projects, universities play a catalytic role, developing proprietary technologies, training specialized human capital, and validating innovative technological routes that leverage national competitive advantages.
Three key projects define scientific leadership.
The Center of Excellence in Hydrogen and Sustainable Energy Technologies (CEHTES) at the Federal University of Goiás exemplifies fundamental multidisciplinary research. With an investment of R$ 24 million from the state government via Fapeg, the center operates as a knowledge hub organized into eight thematic areas, ranging from hydrogen production from agro-industrial waste to regulatory studies and market intelligence.
The Hydrogen Laboratory at the Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RCGI-USP) embodies an unprecedented technological investment. With R$ 50 million in multi-stakeholder funding led by Shell Brazil, it represents the first global experimental plant dedicated to the production of renewable hydrogen through the catalytic reforming of ethanol. This technological route directly leverages the consolidated infrastructure of the Brazilian sugarcane and ethanol industry, with the capacity to produce 100 kg of hydrogen per day.
The industrial demonstration on a relevant scale is materialized in the SENAI-Petrobras project in Rio Grande do Norte. With an investment of R$ 90 million, the 2-megawatt PEM electrolysis pilot plant, powered exclusively by photovoltaic solar energy expanded from 1.1 MWp to 2.5 MWp, produces 30 kilograms of hydrogen daily and tests integration with natural gas, offering a pragmatic path for energy transition.
Complementary ecosystem amplifies national capacity.
In addition to the three structuring projects, Brazil has developed an integrated network of specialized centers with complementary characteristics. The Federal University of Itajubá inaugurated the first Brazilian Green Hydrogen Center (CH2V) in September 2023, with R$ 25 million in German investment via GIZ. The center has a 300 kW PEM electrolyzer with a capacity of 60 Nm³/h of green hydrogen and the first refueling station for vehicles in the country.
COPPE at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro has structured a multidisciplinary experimental platform integrating four specialized laboratories. The facility has developed innovative demonstrations such as electric-hydrogen hybrid bicycles with a 150 km range and solid oxide fuel cells for stationary generation, in addition to research on hydrogen production from offshore wind energy in partnership with TotalEnergies.
The Federal University of Santa Catarina inaugurated MultiLab in July 2025, a multi-user laboratory made possible by R$ 2.5 million from Fapesc. Developed within the National Institute of Science and Technology in Control and Automation of Energy Processes, MultiLab covers the entire hydrogen cycle: production, storage, and integration into energy networks.
The São Paulo Institute for Technological Research completes this ecosystem with an investment of R$ 50 million from FINEP and the state Secretariat of Science and Technology. Inaugurated in October 2025, LabH2-IPT has one thousand square meters with refueling points at 350 and 700 bar, compatible with cars, buses and trucks, consolidating an industrial validation infrastructure.
Multimodal financing enables scale and continuity.
The sustainability of university investments depends on a diversified financial architecture. At the federal level, the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development mobilized R$ 60 million for the Embrapii Hydrogen Competence Center, while the National Electric Energy Agency approved R$ 196.2 million in projects for integration into the electricity sector.
State foundations have emerged as strategic funders. FAPESP has supported RCGI-USP since 2015, Fapeg invested R$ 24 million in CEHTES-UFG, and Fapesc allocated R$ 111 million to the program that funded 23 laboratories in Santa Catarina. International cooperation, particularly with Germany through GIZ, has been an essential catalyst in projects at UNIFEI and COPPE-UFRJ.
Market outlook
Global demand for hydrogen reached 97 million tons in 2023, with projections of exponential growth. Brazil possesses unique competitive advantages: renewable energy with very low marginal cost, expertise in bioenergy, and strategic port infrastructure for export.
Brazilian university investment in green hydrogen transcends conventional financial allocation, representing a strategic bet on consolidating the country as a technological powerhouse in the energy transition. The success of this trajectory will depend on the sustainability of multimodal financing, coordinated integration between centers of excellence, and the development of a high-tech entrepreneurial ecosystem.
