Brazil

Total primary energy demand has doubled in Brazil since 1990, led by strong growth in electricity consumption and in demand for transport fuels on the back of robust economic growth and a burgeoning middle class.

Large hydropower plants account for around 80% of domestic electricity generation, giving the electricity system a great deal of operational flexibility. Continued expansion of hydropower is increasingly constrained by the remoteness and environmental sensitivity of a large part of the remaining resource, although 20 GW of hydropower capacity is under construction in the Amazon region. Reliance on other sources for power generation is growing, notably natural gas, wind and bioenergy. A system of contract auctions provides a mechanism to bring forward investment in new generation and transmission capacity, as well as to diversify the power mix.

Large offshore oil and gas discoveries have confirmed Brazil’s status as one of the world’s foremost oil and gas provinces. The "pre-salt" discoveries also prompted a change in upstream regulation, granting Petrobras – the national oil company – a strengthened role in areas deemed strategic.

Production from the deepwater pre-salt fields in the Santos basin has gained considerable momentum in recent years, offsetting declining output from mature fields elsewhere. Thanks to such successful developments in deepwater production, Brazil is turning into a net oil exporter in 2017, and pre-salt growth will be essential to further export growth. According to IEA forecasts, net oil exports will pass the 1 million barrels/day mark by 2022.

Last updated Jun 23, 2020