Following their meeting on the sidelines of the U.S. conference, the Journal of Petroleum Technology covered the discussions as Brazil was advancing its legislation, where Hernandez highlighted how U.S. expertise could accelerate Brazil’s low-carbon economy. Now, with Brazil having its own direct air capture facility operational and a CCS policy framework in place, the nation has moved from policy to execution, creating regulatory certainty for investors and market participants—thanks to collaborative efforts by key stakeholders from Brazil and abroad.
Fast-forward to 2025, and CERAWeek delivered again, where Hernandez reconnected with Heloisa Borges, a Director at the Energy Research Office (ERO), a Brazilian government agency, and met with Petrobras CEO Magda Chambriard, who oversees Brazil’s state-controlled energy company. This highlights how CERAWeek’s sidelines foster high-level engagements and strategic diplomacy. Reflecting on the progress since 2024, Hernandez and Borges first met in Brazil, where ERO and Innovation Norway signed a landmark Brazilian-Norwegian CCS Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This was overseen by Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Consul General Mette Tangen, with whom Hernandez also engaged.
The MoU added another important layer of low-carbon diplomacy. Now, the event in Houston advances the ongoing Brazil-Norway-U.S. CCS trilateral arc, building on the collaborative strides made in previous years.
Petrobras’ $111 billion 2025-2029 Business Plan strengthens Brazil’s decarbonization vision, with $16.3 billion allocated to CCS and other low-carbon initiatives—a 42% increase from prior commitments. This vision also aligns with Brazil’s pursuit of the CCS hub model. Similarly, parallel progress is being made in American CCS hub development via Equinor, the Norwegian state-controlled energy company. Additionally, it has launched the Northern Lights project in Europe, underscoring the global nature of CCS efforts and collaborative advancements in low-carbon strategies.
It is vital to highlight that the passage of Brazil’s CCS law was shaped by the multidisciplinary efforts of CCS Brasil and SFLCT, who have experience across the nations mentioned here and other countries involved in global low-carbon initiatives. Key and specialized contributions came from Isabela Morbach’s doctoral thesis, which inspired the legislative foundation, while Nathália Weber’s expertise bridged local and international discussions. Hernandez’s government affairs experience—engaging with the U.S. DOE and the Scottish government in his appointed Business Ambassador role—was instrumental in supporting these efforts. This momentum, supported by diverse players, now positions Brazil as the CCS leader in Latin America.
While other nations face regulatory uncertainty, Brazil’s model shows how a developed legal framework can attract investment and drive decarbonization. Hernandez notes that additional mechanisms may be needed to scale CCS investment, but this policy shift lays the foundation for growth. He adds, "Brazil’s new law proves that low-carbon diplomacy delivers results. Through the valiant involvement of diverse stakeholders who believed in this vision, it now stands as South America's CCS leader." Brazil’s leadership in CCS underscores the critical role of policy stability and international cooperation in achieving net-zero goals.
Publishing note: The views expressed herein are those of Fernando C. Hernandez, Chairman of the Board of the Society for Low Carbon Technologies, a non-profit organization, and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of any organizations referenced in this piece. The information provided is intended solely for knowledge dissemination purposes.
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