Petrobras interrupted the supply of LNG to Ceará a few months ago and now thermoelectric plants in the state may stop their production, directly affecting the supply of energy contracted by local consumers

In the midst of the energy crisis that is plaguing all of Brazil, an operational rearrangement carried out by Petrobras in recent months surprised Ceará. The state-owned company interrupted the route of an LNG supply vessel that is used by thermoelectric plants, and this decision could directly affect the supply of energy already contracted by local consumers.

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Petrobras pronounces on interruption of LNG in Ceará

Without the input, thermoelectric plants in the northeast would have had their energy production capacity impaired since the first half of 2021. Since March, Petrobras has redirected a vessel that used Pier 2 at the port of Pecém as an LNG regasification terminal to operate a route to the state of Bahia.

The ship was responsible for supplying the Bahia Regasification Terminal (TRBA), in Salvador. According to Petrobras, the availability of two ships in the fleet was linked to the lease process for the terminal in Bahia. However, according to the company, the operation at the Pecém terminal, in Ceará, should be reestablished shortly after the completion of the process.

In a note, Petrobras stated that, as provided for in the process, the allocation of a new vessel by the lessor company is expected, and the state-owned company will be able to move the TRBA LNG vessel back to the Pecém terminal.

Thermoelectric plants in Ceará are damaged in the midst of the energy crisis

Despite Petrobras' confirmation that LNG stocks should be reestablished in the state, the interruption in the midst of the energy crisis was not seen with good eyes by the energy consultant of the Federation of Industries of the State of Ceará (Fiec) and also president of the Sectorial Chamber of Renewable Energies of Ceará, Jurandir Picanço.

Picanço commented that the situation is absurd, since the electricity that would be produced by Central Geradora Termelétrica Fortaleza SA had already been contracted by Enel Distribuição Ceará.

Since 2009, Petrobras has been primarily responsible for supplying LNG with this ship, which meets the demand for thermoelectric plants in the State. In March, when the energy crisis was beginning, Petrobras removed the ship and did not return.

Consumers are still not impacted by the absence of gas

The expectation is that the interruption does not reach, for the time being, the pocket of consumers. Enel Distribuição Ceará stated, through a note, that the energy supply contract with the CGTF is being fulfilled, without any additional fee to consumers.

For Picanço, the decision of the state-owned company is controversial, as it is not favorable in the midst of the energy crisis that the country is going through. Due to the energy produced by the thermal plant already being contracted by Enel, and due to the quality of the equipment, the production should not have major impacts on the red flag prices, established by Aneel due to the low levels of the reservoirs.

Picanço says that nothing will change for consumers, but the energy crisis has a lot of impact, as the state could be producing this energy from thermoelectric plants. “The System is buying energy from all types of thermal plants and that is why we are in the red flag”.