Pilot plants to make synthetic kerosene

Aviation as a whole is very harmful to the climate, but changing this is particularly difficult. Switching to electric propulsion, as in the case of motor vehicles, is unrealistic in the foreseeable future. Batteries with the capacity to store such large amounts of energy would simply be too large and too heavy, especially over longer distances. One alternative is to develop new types of fuel known as sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).

As part of H2Brasil, GIZ has facilitated the construction of four pilot plants to produce synthetic kerosene – in the north-eastern city of Natal, near Brasilia in the centre of the country, in Rio de Janeiro and in southern Brazil. In collaboration with universities and research institutes, research is being conducted at all four locations into alternative raw materials, such as biogas and residues from sugar cane production. These provide the carbon required to produce a clean version of crude oil when combined with green hydrogen. From airlines to aircraft manufacturers, there is now a great deal of private-sector interest in participating in these projects.

Powerhouse for sustainable fertilisers

A lot of energy is needed to produce artificial fertilisers, such as those based on nitrogen. The process generally uses fossil natural gas, which causes high greenhouse gas emissions. Brazil is heavily dependent on imports to meet its huge demand for nitrogen fertilisers, which have become significantly more expensive since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Against this background, the Solar Energy and Green Hydrogen Research Laboratory at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Florianópolis in southern Brazil is creating a real win-win situation.

The laboratory is a five-storey building in which not only the roof but almost all the walls too are fitted with solar panels. They provide the energy to produce green hydrogen, which is then used in turn to make green ammonia, the basis for nitrogen fertiliser. The researchers use the fertiliser produced in this way on a small coffee plantation. The plantation is also equipped with its own ‘agri-PV’ system in the form of photovoltaic arrays two metres above the coffee plants that can flexibly adjust to the position of the sun while also providing shade. The resulting system is both autonomous and climate-friendly and can be used for agricultural land without needing a connection to the public power grid.

GIZ provided financial and technical support for the development of the research laboratory. The laboratory and training building was opened in August 2023.

Lighter cargo bikes

Around 400,000 people work as bicycle or motorbike couriers in Brazil. Most are from marginalised social groups. The jobs are poorly paid and dominated by men – working as a bike courier is extremely hard, especially in hilly cities such as Rio de Janeiro. With technical and financial support from the H2Brasil project, the state university there is now trialling the use of hydrogen cargo bikes that significantly reduce the physical effort required and therefore enable more people to enter the labour market. ‘This can have a huge social impact,’ says Project Director Markus Francke. Unlike battery-powered cargo bikes, the hydrogen version only requires a small tank, which makes the bikes lighter and more flexible. As it also avoids the need for long periods spent recharging, this solution is also interesting for logistics companies. If successful, the project can easily be transferred to other countries.