Brazilian state-owned energy major Petróleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) will invest $3.9 million (BRL 20 million) into a natural hydrogen study.

The research, according to a media release by the company, will look into generation processes and the feasibility of extracting natural hydrogen in the country. The research has already kicked off in October 2023 in the state of Bahia, Petrobras said. Petrobras plans to include other states in the research.

Due to the production processes of geological hydrogen, it is considered a potential renewable energy source whose use does not generate greenhouse gasses, Petrobras noted.

Since 2022, Petrobras has been ramping up its natural hydrogen efforts. These include training its technical staff and collaborating with researchers. Last March, it hosted the first-ever Natural Hydrogen Workshop at its Research Center (Cenpes), bringing together Brazilian and international experts. Partnerships with universities and other companies are also playing a role in exploring and developing tools to find natural hydrogen deposits, Petrobras said.

"Hydrogen is one of the most promising alternatives for achieving decarbonization targets. As planned in its Strategic Planning, Petrobras is studying the hydrogen value chain with project studies, strategic partnerships focused on the product market and research and development activities. The research studies into natural hydrogen put us at the forefront of analyzing the potential of this source in Brazil", Carlos José do Nascimento Travassos, Petrobras director of engineering, technology and innovation, said.

Petrobras' investments in research and development for the low-carbon economy by 2028 are expected to total $0.7 billion, rising from 15 percent of Petrobras' total research and development investments in 2024 to 30 percent at the end of the period, the company said.