Brazil builds more thermoelectric plants than solar plants

Despite the growth of solar energy in the Brazilian electricity matrix, the country continues to present controversial predictions that go in the opposite direction to what the world's main nations think, which are unanimous in defending the decarbonization of the planet through investments in renewable sources. 

In Brazil, according to data collected by the Solar Channel Together with ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency), there is, for the next few years, a forecast of entry of more than 4.2 GW of installed power generated from the construction of thermal plants. 

This is an amount almost twice as large as the 2.6 GW of solar power planned to be added to the Brazilian electricity matrix in the future. The thermoelectric volume cited is not greater than those estimated for wind energy, with 4.9 GW. 

Currently, 58 of the 306 centralized energy generation projects under construction in Brazil are from thermoelectric plants, which represents around 20% of the total, according to ANEEL data.

Bernardo Marangon, specialist in electrical energy markets and director of Exata Energia, explains that the amount of thermal power to be installed in the country, in the near future, is directly related to the holding of energy auctions held in the past, at a time when solar was becoming a reality in the country. 

“Thermal energy is a technology that has been operating in Brazil for a long time. And, the large auctions we had, with large volumes involved, took place at a time when solar energy was still beginning. That’s why we have this difference,” he said.

Granted projects

According to information from ANEEL, solar sources are more prominent in relation to thermal plants when it comes to licensed projects. Currently, 538 of the 858 (62.7%) centralized power generation projects under construction not yet started in the country are photovoltaic. 

“The projects awarded clearly show what the future could be. We are currently experiencing a transition in how to make these generation projects viable, which can make the growth of solar sources a little more difficult. However, I would say that the market is maturing”, highlighted Marangon. 

For the director of Exata Energia, it is essential that Brazil has a better distributed electrical matrix in the coming years, considering that, nowadays, more than 60% of it is made up of hydro plants. 

“It is important to have all sources better distributed in our matrix, even more so now that we are realizing that hydroelectric plants, due to climate change, are no longer able to have the flow necessary to guarantee security of supply”, he highlighted.

Planning

In June this year, the general director of ANEEL, André Pepitone, said that the authorization to use all availability of thermoelectric plants in the country this year, to avoid energy shortages, amid the water crisis, will have a cost additional amount of around R$ 9 billion to Brazilian consumers. 

This is an amount that could have been avoided if the country had planned better, highlights Marangon. “When planning, the effects of climate change on the flows of water plants were not considered. It was expected that there would be a recovery of the reservoirs, in accordance with the long-term history of flows. However, in the last ten years we have not reached the long-term average in the main basins”, he explained.