The president of Petrobras Joaquim Silva e Luna participated this Thursday in an online event of the Credit Suisse bank and on the occasion stated that the state-owned company increased imports, going from almost 40 ships to about 130 LNG ships.
This increase in ships transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Petrobras took place so that Brazil could continue generating electricity. In this case, through thermoelectric plants.
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Due to the water crisis that Brazil went through in 2021, considered the worst in the last nine decades, thermoelectric plants had to be activated to overcome the drop in hydroelectric generation and avoid the risk of blackout.
Hydroelectric plants are the main sources of energy in Brazil. But due to the drought, many of them were below the average volume, which indirectly resulted in this increase in Petrobras' LNG ships.
According to the president of Petrobras, Joaaquim Silva e Luna, the increase in the import of liquefied gas/LNG was almost mandatory, given the circumstances.
“Petrobras found itself in a position to greatly increase its imports. We went from almost 40 ships to almost 120, 130 gas ships. We greatly increased imports in order to be able to meet this demand for thermoelectric plants", said Silva and Luna during the online event of the Credit Suisse bank.
Petrobras imported an average of 23 million cubic meters of LNG gas per day in 2021
The increase in imports of liquefied natural gas by Petrobras was around 200%, compared to 2020, according to data from the state-owned company.
In 2021, Petrobras imported an average of 23 million cubic meters (m³) of LNG per day onto its ships. In 2020, the daily volume recorded an average of 7,5 million cubic meters.
Petrobras' main LNG import destinations are the United States, Trinidad & Tobago and Qatar. According to data from the National Electric System Operator (ONS), thermal generation from natural gas increased by 62,5% in 2021 compared to 2020 and 47,2% compared to 2019.
- 2021 – 7,8 average GW
- 2020 – 4,8 average GW
- 2019: – 5,3 average GW
Why does Brazil import LNG gas?
Part of the natural gas produced in Brazil is not used due to the lack of gas pipelines. The gas pipeline network in the country is 9.400 kilometers long. Very small, according to experts.
In 2020, to give you an idea, the supply of LNG increased by 211%. Production went from 8,4 to 26,1 million cubic meters per day, according to data from the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the National Petroleum Agency (ANP). As a result, 45% of the gas produced was reinjected.
