COP30 Amazonia BELÉM 2025 Series: Brazil Recognizes Natural Hydrogen as Renewable Ahead of COP30
Brazil has officially classified natural, or geologic, hydrogen as renewable under its new Low-Carbon Hydrogen Law No. 14,948, passed in August 2024. This landmark legislation expands the country’s definition of renewable hydrogen to include hydrogen collected from natural sources as well as produced from solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable pathways.
The law establishes the National Policy for Low-Carbon Hydrogen, introducing incentives and a development program (PHBC) for hydrogen industries. It assigns the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels (ANP) as the regulator responsible for authorizing exploration and production of natural hydrogen within Brazil.
Brazil’s Energy Research Office (EPE) reports that geologic hydrogen possesses the lowest carbon intensity among hydrogen types—approximately 0.4 kg CO₂/kg H₂, far below the emissions of traditional steam methane reforming (9–13 kg CO₂/kg H₂). The EPE notes that natural hydrogen could potentially meet global energy demand “for centuries,” offering a clean, cost-competitive resource for industrial decarbonization.
In the lead-up to COP30 in Belém, Brazil is promoting geologic hydrogen as part of its strategy to triple renewable energy capacity and accelerate low-emission technologies. The Brazilian Hydrogen Association (ABH2) has signed new memoranda of understanding with France Hydrogène and Medef International’s Hydrogen Task Force, emphasizing natural hydrogen’s role in clean energy cooperation.
UNIDO and the Brazilian government are jointly advancing Industrial Decarbonization Hubs to showcase practical low-carbon solutions, while the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) advocates a technology-neutral policy framework to allow fair competition among hydrogen production methods.
With the support of national and international partners, Brazil is positioning itself as a global leader in the emerging natural hydrogen economy, redefining renewable energy and setting the stage for its debut at COP30.
