Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy announces decree regulating low-carbon hydrogen.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) announced that the decree regulating Laws No. 14,948/2024 and No. 14,990/2024 — pillars of the legal framework for low-carbon hydrogen in Brazil — will be signed next week. The measure, expected to be announced during COP30 in Belém (PA), consolidates fundamental guidelines for the new national energy frontier, offering regulatory predictability and signaling to the national and international market Brazil's commitment to the energy transition.

Clear Rules, Certification, and Incentives to Boost the Sector

Coordinated by the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) through the Management Committee of the National Hydrogen Program (Coges-PNH2) and with interministerial participation from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC) and the Ministry of Finance, the decree regulates the main programs of the national policy — the National Hydrogen Program (PNH2), the Low-Carbon Hydrogen Development Program (PHBC), and the Special Incentive Regime for Low-Carbon Hydrogen Production (Rehidro).

Among the advances are technical definitions for the certification of low-emission hydrogen — such as life cycle assessment (LCA) criteria, greenhouse gas measurement methodologies, the establishment of the Brazilian Hydrogen Certification System (SBCH₂) with traceability, and emission intensity standards. With this, the decree offers the industrial sector legal certainty, clear rules for investment, innovation and job creation, and strengthens governance with monitoring and oversight mechanisms.