RN secures environmental license for second green hydrogen and ammonia plant

Rio Grande do Norte is making strides in transforming its competitive advantage in renewable energy into a new low-carbon industrial platform. The Institute for Sustainable Development and the Environment (Idema) has granted an Installation License to Atlântico Empreendimentos Imobiliários for a green hydrogen and green ammonia facility in São Gonçalo do Amarante, within the Natal Metropolitan Area. With a projected capacity of approximately 35,200 tons of hydrogen and 200,000 tons of ammonia per year, this venture becomes the second major project in the sector to secure environmental licensing in the state, although it still requires a future Operating License to begin production.

New low-carbon industry gains scale in Rio Grande do Norte

Valid for four years, the authorization permits plant construction and establishes environmental conditions—including a requirement to prove that 100% of the electricity used comes from renewable sources; the company also plans to use reclaimed water in the industrial process. This project joins Brazil Green Energy’s "Morro Pintado" initiative, planned for Areia Branca, which received a preliminary license in April; that project envisions 500 MW of installed capacity, an annual output of 80,000 tons, and an announced investment of €2 billion. The expansion of this portfolio runs parallel to the state's strategy of mapping its competitiveness via the Rio Grande do Norte Green Hydrogen Atlas. The Atlas estimates a theoretical potential of around 90 million tons of green H₂ annually across all suitable areas—or approximately 10 million tons under a more conservative scenario.

The combination of renewable resources, new industrial projects, environmental licensing, and land-use planning is thus beginning to position the state not merely as a producer of clean electricity, but as a contender to transform that energy into low-carbon molecules offering higher added value for industry and markets.