National electrical energy production from centralized plants totaled 677.437 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in 2022, growth of 3,3% compared to the previous year. Highlights include solar plants, which reached 30.126 GWh last year, a growth of 79,8% compared to the previous year.
The largest production was from hydroelectric plants, with 427.114 GWh (+17,7%). Wind energy generated 81.631 GWh, growth of 12,9%; biomass produced 52.047 GWh (+12,9%). The data are from the most recent Electric Energy Statistical Yearbook from EPE (Energy Research Company).
“This increase in hydraulic generation is directly related to the favorable hydrological regime observed in 2022, which resulted in greater dispatch of hydroelectric plants and contributed to a reduction in the dispatch of fossil fuel thermoelectric plants. For this reason, the biggest percentage drops were observed in natural gas thermoelectric generation (-51,6%), petroleum derivatives (-57,2%) and coal (-54,6%). Such movements contributed to reducing the share of these fossil fuels in the national electrical generation matrix from 18,7% in 2021 to 8,5% in 2022, while hydroelectric generation resumed its contribution in 2022 to 63%, a level similar to that observed in 2020.
Despite the decline in fossil plants, thermal plants using natural gas, petroleum derivatives and coal produced, respectively, 42.035 GWh, 7.816 GWh and 7.988 GWh.
Installed power
Photovoltaic plants also stood out in terms of adding installed power, with growth of 59,5% compared to 2021, from 4.632 MW to 7.387 MW at the end of 2022. Close behind were wind farms, with an increase of 14,3% in the period, increasing from 20.771 MW to 23.744 MW.
Among the fossil plants, the only one to show growth was the natural gas thermoelectric plant, changing 7,5%, going from 16.219 MW to 17.437 MW in the period.
Just like nuclear (1.900 MW) and coal-fired thermal plants (3.203 MW), large hydroelectric plants remain stagnant (103.195 MW), but small hydro plants varied by 3,6% (CGH) and 2,7% (PCH), to 863 MW and 5.662 MW, respectively.
