Record gas imports by Petrobras signals worsening water crisis in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Petrobras imported 42 million m³ of gas (LNG) per day from a daily stock of 109 million m³. According to the company, this amount represents all the national gas injected in the Brazilian network and double what is being imported from Bolivia.

According to the report released by Ágora Investimentos on Tuesday, July 20, the record import signals a worsening of the water crisis as the product is used to run thermal power plants to produce energy.

According to analysts Vicente Falanga and Ricardo França, Petrobras has reorganized its LNG terminals to increase Brazil’s import capacity. “LNG is an important alternative gas supply source and Brazil has four new terminals under construction in the coming years,” the analysts commented.

Meanwhile, the demand for energy in the National Interconnected System (SIN) registered an 8.1% increase in June compared to the same period last year, driven mainly by the recovery of the industrial sector, said the National Electric System Operator (ONS) last Monday, July 19.

According to the report released by the agency, the national load reached an average of 66,707 megawatts in the period.

Despite the increase in the annual comparison, there was a negative variation of 1.4% compared to May, the operator added. “The sharp increase observed in the activities of trade and services, associated with the continued high rate of industrial production has been reflected on the load performance of the Southeast/Midwest and Southern subsystems,” ONS said in a statement.

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