The Brazilian government has stated that the country will need to increase its installed capacity by 110GW in the next 15 years to meet the country’s rising energy demands. The figure is almost double the current generation capacity of 121GW and eight times the potential of the 14GW Itaipu hydroelectric plant shared by Brazil and Paraguay.
“It is with this challenge in mind that the government is working on a strategic plan for the sector,” Federal Mining and Energy Secretary Mr Márcio Zimmermann said during an event in Foz do Iguaçu.
According to government figures, hydropower accounted for 86 per cent of Brazil’s electric energy generation in 2012. Itaipu alone contributed more than 17 per cent of total supply. Zimmermann said greater investments were needed in alternative sources like wind, thermoelectric, nuclear and solar plants to guarantee the future reliability of Brazil’s matrix. He added fluctuations in dam levels meant installed capacity for hydroelectric facilities was misleading. “If Brazil has 260GW of hydroelectric potential, we know that it will only be viable to produce 160GW,” Zimmermann said. “Hydroelectricity is the flagship producer but there is room for all sources.”
Federal energy planning company EPE says per capita power consumption in Brazil has risen 17 per cent in the past five years to 2.4MW/h. Zimmermann believes the figure will double by 2028, regardless of economic growth forecasts. “With rising income across the board, per capita consumption is going to increase to 4.8MW/h. That isn’t a pipe dream, it’s a reality,” Zimmermann added.