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Wind Energy Already Accounts for 71% of Ceará’s Electricity, Surpassing Fossil Sources and Positioning the State at the Center of Brazil’s Energy Transition.
Ceará has undergone a silent yet profound change in the electric sector. Today, wind energy dominates electricity generation in the State, leaving behind polluting sources and repositioning the Northeast on Brazil’s clean energy map.
Data from the National Energy Balance, compiled in Ceará’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, show that no less than 71% of all electricity generated in Ceará comes from the wind. The official presentation took place at the Legislative Assembly of Ceará, the Ceará Legislative Assembly, highlighting the political and environmental weight of these numbers.
Wind and Solar Energy Transform the Electric Matrix
While wind energy takes the lead, solar energy follows closely behind, accounting for 25% of generation in the State. This means that together, renewable sources have practically taken over Ceará’s electrical system.
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Moreover, growth is rapid. In just one year, from 2020 to 2021, total energy generation in Ceará advanced by 60%. Since then, the volume remains high, consolidating a new energy standard.
In the Northeast as a whole, the wind is also dominant. Wind energy accounts for 55% of regional electricity, surpassing hydropower, which stands at 22%, and solar at 11%.
Nationally, Brazil still mainly depends on hydropower, which accounts for 57%, while wind reaches 13% and solar, 7%.
The Collapse of Coal and the Advance of Renewables
Another striking piece of data is the sharp decline of coal in Ceará. In 2021, this source still generated 5,880 GWh. However, the following year, it plummeted to just 12 GWh.
In 2023, it rose slightly but remained at only 169 GWh, becoming nearly irrelevant.
This trend aligns with what is happening nationally. In 2022, for the first time, wind energy surpassed thermal generation in Brazil.
The result was a reduction of about 68% in emissions related to electricity production, according to environmental sector data.
In practice, the wind and sun have begun to push out the more polluting sources.
Who Consumes the Most Energy in Ceará
Even with the explosion of wind energy, consumption is also increasing. In 2023, Ceará used 13,027,256 MWh of electricity. The residential sector led, with 41.5% of the total. Following were commerce at 18%, industry at 17.8%, and the public sector at 13.3%.
The number of consumers also skyrocketed. Between 2018 and 2023, it rose from 3.54 million to 4.4 million, an increase of about 24%. After a slight drop in 2020, consumption began to rise strongly again starting in 2021.
Oil, Gas, and the Contrast with Wind Energy
Despite the advancement of wind energy, Ceará still consumes large volumes of fossil fuels. In 2023, diesel usage reached about 1.14 billion liters, with more than 90% allocated to transportation.
Fuel oil totaled 2.14 million liters, with the industry as the main user. Cooking gas, GLP, reached almost 289 million kilos, of which 87.5% were used in residences.
Natural gas also played an important role, with over 21 million cubic meters, mainly in the industry.
This contrast shows that while wind energy is growing in electric generation, the challenge of reducing oil and its derivatives usage remains significant.
Given this scenario of rapid advancement, do you think Ceará can become the first state 100% powered by wind?
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