ArcelorMittal, Petrobras Advance Green Hydrogen Projects in Brazil

ArcelorMittal is collaborating with U.S.-based Utility Global to develop a clean hydrogen project at its Juiz de Fora steel plant in Brazil, utilizing Utility's H2Gen system which produces hydrogen from blast furnace off-gas without using electricity. This hydrogen can replace natural gas in steelmaking, while the concentrated CO2 stream produced simplifies carbon capture and storage, potentially lowering emissions and costs. The project is in the front-end engineering and design phase, aiming to produce up to three tons of hydrogen per day with a modular and scalable system. Despite this initiative, ArcelorMittal has expressed skepticism about the economic viability of integrating green hydrogen and carbon capture technologies into steelmaking before 2030, citing high costs. Meanwhile, Petrobras is considering a $88 million investment in a green hydrogen pilot project at a refinery in São Paulo, exploring electrolysis technologies to decarbonize its operations and meet hydrogen demand for sulfur removal in fuel processing. Both companies' efforts reflect Brazil's growing focus on low-carbon hydrogen to reduce industrial emissions and support energy transition goals.