Low-carbon hydrogen production under Brazilian law 14.948/2024

Abstract

Hydrogen is an element with great energy potential and is emerging as a clean fuel compared to other alternative energy sources. However, its production methods can have high greenhouse gas emissions, making it necessary to apply low-emission production methodologies, resulting in what is known as low-carbon hydrogen. This paper presents methods currently used on a large scale to produce this fuel, as presented in The Future of Hydrogen report by the International Energy Agency (2019), and compares the emissions data from these methods with the limits imposed by Brazilian law 14.948/2024, which sets a limit of 7 kilograms of carbon dioxide emitted per kilogram of hydrogen produced. Alternative hydrogen production methodologies are also presented, whether they are improvements to already consolidated processes or new methods under development, through the systematic review.