Ceará advances in billion-dollar hydrogen project with potential to generate almost 9 thousand jobs

The state of Ceará is reinforcing its strategic position in the global energy transition by advancing negotiations to install a new sustainable hydrogen project at the Pecém Industrial and Port Complex (CIPP). Last Wednesday (18), Governor Elmano de Freitas met in Brasília with the global CEO of Fortescue, Andrew Forrest, and the Vice President of the Republic, Geraldo Alckmin, to discuss the Australian multinational's project, budgeted at R$18 billion. The initiative is considered a milestone for the regional economy, with the expectation of generating more than 8,900 direct jobs in the state.

Pecém as the epicenter of the new sustainable hydrogen economy

The Fortescue project represents just a fraction of a much broader energy ecosystem. The CIPP Hydrogen Hub has already attracted investment promises exceeding R$131 billion, bringing together projects from several companies focused on the production of clean energy. Ceará’s ambition is to establish itself as one of the largest sustainable hydrogen hubs in the world, leveraging its strategic geographic location, world-class port infrastructure and a political environment favorable to the development of green technologies.

The initiative is part of a global context of decarbonization and repositions Brazil — and Ceará in particular — as a central player in the international renewable energy chain. With a projected volume of approximately 80,000 direct and indirect jobs throughout the hub, the project signals a profound and long-term transformation for the region’s production matrix.