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Located on the right bank of the Tagus River, near the city of Póvoa de Santa Iria (in the Vila Franca de Xira region), HyChem positions itself as a company specialized in the hydrogen chemistry.
It produces and markets sodium chlorate (NaClO3), a substance essential to the highly export-oriented Pulp & Paper sector, and hydrogen.
The sodium chlorate unit, which is primarily used in the bleaching of pulp, is unique in the country. It is therefore an indispensable support to the Portuguese industry, due to its proximity to the market, its position as a center of knowledge for the production process, and its contribution to reducing imports.
The HyChem sodium chlorate production unit pursues new goals of competitiveness through technological innovation and digitization of the management of its energy consumption, using artificial intelligence.
In pursuit of these objectives, management is oriented towards excellence – HyChem is certified according to the requirements of the norm NP EN ISO 9001:2015 | IQnet ISO 9001:2015
HyChem is positioning itself to tackle the challenge of energy transition and industrial transformation towards carbon neutrality by investing in green hydrogen production, adopting new "clean" technologies, and introducing new bio-based products in proximity to its shareholder groups.
Whether through the development of its operations, collaborative work with partner entities, or contributions from its shareholder groups, HyChem has the potential to become more than an industrial pilot in the short term and become a Hydrogen Hub, which will help the Portuguese industry achieve its green hydrogen projects.
In fact, in addition to operating in a fully-equipped facility, HyChem has been producing high-purity hydrogen in Póvoa since 1939, which means that it has both the knowledge (from concept to industrialization) and experience in the manufacturing, compression, storage, supply, and use of this substance.
And to make the Póvoa complex carbon-neutral, HyChem is investing in increasing its capacity for producing green hydrogen from biogas and/or water electrolysis, and studying high-density storage solutions to maintain the community running even during periods of low solar or wind power through a gas-to-power system.
Adding to this, the company has already built a first 2 MW solar park within the Póvoa industrial perimeter, and has the ambition, in the next stage, to install a second park with a 10 MW power capacity. As a result, HyChem will gradually consume more and more renewable energy at a lower cost, and the hydrogen produced from its electrolysis process will increasingly become "green."
This represents a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and towards achieving carbon neutrality in the Portuguese economy.
HyVeritas represents an ultimate development and another major step in building on the HyChem's strategic objectives regarding hydrogen.
Under the signature Hydrogen Today and Beyond, HyVeritas results from a partnership between HyChem and TecnoVeritas in the energy transition and low-carbon mobility domains.
Established as a joint venture (50/50), the new company covers the entire value chain of hydrogen and aims to explore technologies associated with this future energy source.
HyVeritas is based, on one hand, on HyChem's extensive experience as a hydrogen producer, holding broad knowledge from concept to industrialization; and, on the other hand, on TecnoVeritas' expertise in engineering solutions and services for the naval industry, including efficiency programs and energy monitoring.
HyVeritas aims to develop three lines of activity:
· Hydrogen production technology – Development of an alkaline electrolyser, with the first prototype located in HyChem's industrial park.
· Hydrogen storage and transportation – Maturation of storage and distribution solutions (LOHC) through an oil (hydrogenation process – storage – dehydrogenation), enabling an efficient and low-risk transportation.
· Engine conversion – Conversion of marine diesel engines into dual-fuel engines, also powered by hydrogen, in partnership with Mitsubishi.
By promoting the acceleration and democratization of new technological solutions based on hydrogen, HyVeritas can significantly contribute to the energy transition towards a more sustainable future.