A project by Vale and Green Energy Park (GEP) has been selected by the European Commission and the 27 Member States as one of the flagship projects of the European Union's Global Gateway Program in the Climate and Energy category. The project seeks to enable the construction of a green hydrogen unit to supply the future development of a Mega Hub in Brazil and is part of the “Brazil North-East Green Energy Parks and Green Shipping Corridors” initiative.

The Global Gateway is a European Union initiative that aims to commit up to €300 billion in global investments between 2021 and 2027. The focus is on sustainable, high-quality investment projects in sectors such as digital, climate and energy, transport, health, education and research. These projects aim to strengthen strategic partnerships and promote the integration of EU value chains with strategic partner countries.

“By including the Vale-GEP project in its list of priorities, the European Union recognizes the importance of this initiative for the development of the green hydrogen chain and the decarbonization of the global steel industry,” said Rogério Nogueira, Vale's Executive Vice President for Commercial and Development. “We have gained another boost to attract other partners to support us in making this project viable, which we consider fundamental for Brazil's low-carbon economy.”

The project represents a major milestone in deepening cooperation between Europe and Brazil and advancing energy transition. Under Lithuania's initiative, it was proposed and approved as one of the EU's Global Gateway flagship projects.

“The European Global Gateway strategy and its flagship projects drive high-quality infrastructure investments that strengthen global connectivity while aligning with EU priorities. It also creates valuable opportunities for Lithuanian and other European businesses to contribute to sustainable development as well as resilient and trusted supply chains across the globe,” said Kęstutis Budrys, minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania.

The initiative was also endorsed by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and received significant political support as further explained by Marian Schuegraf, ambassador to the Delegation of the European Union in Brazil. “European and Brazilian businesses such as Green Energy Park and Vale lead the development of decarbonization solutions in Brazil. Supporting such initiatives, connecting and strengthening value chains on both sides of the Atlantic and to mutual benefit, is a priority for the EU under the Global Gateway Investment Agenda”, said Ms.Schuegraf.

For Bart Biebuyck, CEO of Green Energy Park, it is the perfect example of an initiative that fully meets the objectives of the Global Gateway: “The Global Gateway is a tool that helps finance the kind of cooperation where there is a win-win situation for Europe and partner countries like Brazil. And this is exactly the case with our project”.

Announced in October 2024, the partnership between Vale and GEP is developing feasibility studies for the installation of a green hydrogen production unit in Brazil. The aim is for this unit to supply a future Mega Hub - an industrial complex designed to manufacture low-carbon steel products - in the country.

The Vale-GEP project had already been included in the Brazil Platform for Climate Investments and Ecological Transformation (BIP), announced by the Brazilian Government and partners last year, the aim of which is to promote investments in ecological transformation to decarbonize the economy. Therefore, the project's relevance has been recognized both in Brazil and in Europe.

Vale has been actively seeking partners to enable the construction of Mega Hubs in Brazil. In these industrial complexes, Vale will supply iron ore agglomerates (pellets or briquettes), which will serve as an input for the manufacture of hot-briquetted iron (HBI), an intermediate product between iron ore and steel.

About the “Brazil North-East Green Energy Parks and Green Shipping Corridors”

This initiative represents several projects by Green Energy Park in the North-East of Brazil, whereby the partnership with Vale stands out as a unique example for the great economic potential of integrating the hydrogen value chain on both sides of the Atlantic. The project leverages Brazil’s natural competitive advantages in renewable hydrogen together with Vale’s high-quality iron ore supply in the country. Producing green HBI in Brazil is set to supply European markets for green steel delivered via decarbonized shipping corridors to various ports in Europe.

About Vale

Vale is a global mining company that exists to improve lives and transform the future together. One of the world's largest producers of iron ore and nickel and a major copper producer, Vale is headquartered in Brazil and operates around the world. Its operations comprise integrated logistics systems, including approximately 2,000 kilometres of railways, marine terminals and 10 ports distributed around the globe. Vale has the ambition to be recognized by society as a benchmark in safety, the best-in-class reliable operator, a talent-driven organization, a leader in sustainable mining, and a benchmark in creating and sharing value.

About Green Energy Park

Green Energy Park is an integrated hydrogen company, implementing one of the largest climate impact undertakings in the world. The company’s objective is to design, build, and operate hydrogen production infrastructure with ammonia and methanol the long-distance renewable energy carriers of choice. As a molecule’s specialist, and to achieve cost leadership, GEP implements leading hydrogen technologies on its standardized production platform at the gigawatts scale. Green Energy Park's mission is to accelerate the energy transition and make the hydrogen economy a reality.