A Brazilian energy matrix is becoming more renewable every year, while there was a reduction in the use of fossil energy, such as natural gas, coal and petroleum derivatives. This is what the most recent report from the BEN (National Energy Balance), prepared annually by EPE (Energy Research Company).
The percentage of renewables in the energy matrix rose from 45% (2021) to 47,4% in 2022, driven by the increase in hydraulic, solar and wind generation. To give you an idea, the share of renewables only reaches 14% in the world and 11,5% in OECD countries, according to information from IEA (International Energy Agency).
In relation to the electrical matrix, the renewability rate increased from 78,1% to 87,9%. This calculation considers, in addition to the SIN (National Interconnected System), isolated systems and self-production not injected into the grid. Considering only the SIN, the renewability rate rises to 92%.
Photovoltaic solar generation reached 30,1 TWh last year, growing 79%, with installed capacity reaching 24.453 MW, an expansion of 82% compared to 2021. The source is already the second largest energy producer in the country, behind only of hydroelectric plants.
Hydroelectric generation contributed 64,3 TWh in 2022, growth of 17,7% compared to the previous year, a result of the good hydrological cycle. Wind generation reached 81,6 TWh (growth of 12,9%) and its installed power reached 23.761 MW, an expansion of 14,3%. Thermoelectric generation (coal, natural gas and petroleum derivatives) fell 32%.
Total electrical energy generation reached 677.173 GWh, growth of 3,2% compared to 2021. MMGD alone produced 18.423 GWh (+87%), with solar energy representing 94,3% (17.378 GWh) of MMGD.
Installed capacity grew 8,3%, from 190.574 GW to 206.451 GW, including distributed generation.
In 2022, electricity consumption in the country grew 2,3% compared to the previous year. The sectors that contributed most to this advance were Commercial, which grew by 6,8 TWh (+7,5%), followed by Industrial, which increased by 5,2 TWh (+2.%), by Residential, which grew by 4,5 TWh (+3,0%) and by the Public Sector, with an increase of 1,9 TWh (+4,3).
carbon emissions
In 2022, CO2 emissions associated with the Brazilian energy matrix reached 423 million tons of CO2 equivalent (Mt CO2-eq), a reduction of 5,1% compared to 2021, with the main emitter being the transport sector ( 210,4 Mt CO2-eq). The carbon intensity of the Brazilian economy is equivalent to 31% of the Chinese economy and 61% of the American economy.
The electricity sector emitted, on average, just 61,7 kg CO2 to produce 1 MWh, a value that is around six times lower than that of the United States and eleven times lower than that of China, both compared to 2020.
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