Investor Presentaiton
Energies 2019, 12, 3658
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power
of renewables like wind, geothermal, solar, ocean renewable energy, and concentrated solar
(CSP) will likely be observed. International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) showed that the
sources of renewable electricity in 2050 will be dominated by solar and wind power plants, highlighting
significant growth associated with the geothermal, CSP, and ocean renewables.
Although Brazil is currently one of the world's cleanest energy suppliers, there are some concerns
associated with the country's energy sustainability. An increasing demand for energy, mainly fossil fuels,
expanding oil production, a bioenergy sector struggling with expansion, fast growth of energy-related
greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency performance deterioration are the current trends that
put the future of the country's sustainable energy performance at risk [2].
Brazil is the world's eighth-largest economy with a population of close to 210 million and a land
area expansion the size of about two times the European Union [2,3]. With a domestic energy supply
of about 292.1 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe) in 2017, it is one of the largest energy producers in
the world [4]. The Energy Research Office (EPE) of Brazil estimated a domestic electricity supply of
624.3 TWh in 2017, and this was mainly produced by the hydropower plants.
The Brazilian electrical and energy matrices are predominately based on renewable energy sources,
which means that, in addition to having lower operating costs, a much lower greenhouse gas effect
is emitted in association with energy production and consumption. For instance, in 2017, the total
anthropogenic emissions of the Brazilian energy mix was estimated at approximately 435.8 million
tons of equivalent carbon dioxide (Mt CO2-eq), of which the transport sector emitted the largest part
(199.7 Mt CO2-eq) [4]. Based on the data presented by the International Energy Agency (IEA) [5],
each Brazilian issued an average of 2.1 t CO2-eq, considering the production and consumption of
energy in 2017. This is three times less than that of a European or Chinese citizen and about seven
times less than an American citizen.
By meeting almost 45% of its primary energy demand from renewable resources, Brazil has the
least carbon-intensive energy sector in the world [6]. Figure 1a shows the domestic energy supply
breakdown for Brazil for 2017. Petroleum and oil products, with a share of 36.4%, had the largest
contribution to energy supply, followed by sugarcane biomass (17%). Natural gas (13%) and hydraulic
energy were other players in the energy matrix of Brazil. Black liquor contributed 50.6% of the
"other renewables" sector, followed by wind (21.3%), biodiesel (19.7%), other biomasses including rice
husk, elephant grass, and vegetable oil (6.5%), charcoal industrial gas (0.4%), biogas (1.1%), and solar
energy (0.4%). The Brazilian electrical matrix, as shown in Figure 1b, was dominated by hydropower
resources with a contribution of approximately 65.2%. The main Brazilian hydroelectric reservoirs are
located in the Paraná River basin, South region, featuring the Itaipu plant, which is the second-largest
hydroelectric power plant in the world with a capacity of 14 GW [7]. The hydroelectric power plants in
Brazil are mostly concentrated in the Midwest, South, and Southeast regions. Several studies have
discussed the benefits and challenges of the hydroelectric plants in Brazil [7-10]. Nevertheless, the
remoteness and environmental sensitivity of a large part of the remaining resources are two hurdles
that constrain the continued expansion of hydroelectric plants in Brazil [6].
Brazil already has a significant contribution of renewable energy in its energy and electricity
matrix; however, there is an inestimable untapped potential for energy supply from the oceans.
Although nearly 80% of the Brazilian population lives near the coast, there has been no in-depth survey
on the utility of ocean energy and its conversion into electricity. There have only been a handful of
studies associated with the ocean renewable energy potential along the Brazilian coastline, and these
have mainly focused on the wave and ocean current energy in some specific regions. Some examples
of the studies related to the wave and current energy include those in [11-16], which focused on
the South and Southeast regions of the Brazilian coast. Moreover, ocean thermal energy conversion
(OTEC) resource evaluation of the Southern Brazilian continental shelf is presented in [17]. The EPE,
through the National Energy Plan [18,19], established some general roadmaps related to the long-term
plan of the Brazilian energy sector. Accordingly, the ocean energy resources, among other alternative
energy sources, were suggested as a way to expand the Brazilian energy matrix in the coming decades.View entire presentation