Sugarcane already exceeds hydroelectric plants in energy production
Valor Econômico - 05/09/2008
Last year, for the first time, in history the sugarcane byproducts exceeded the energy produced by hydroelectric plants in the Brazilian energy matrix. According to preliminary data from the National Energy Evaluation released by the Energetic Research Company (EPE in Portuguese) yesterday, sugarcane byproducts were responsible for 16% of the national matrix in 2007, whereas the energy produced by hydroelectric plants was responsible for 14.7%. In 2006, the percentage was 14.5% for sugarcane and 14.8% for hydroelectric energy. Oil and its byproducts continue in first place and were responsible for 36.7% of last year's total, compared to 37.8% in 2006. What stood out in the evaluation was the result of the energies produced by means of renewable sources, which were responsible for 70% of the total of 13.5 million tons of increase in the producing sources of energy in 2007. From this total, it was sugarcane that individually stood out the most, with an increase of 5.6 million tons. With the result, the participation of the renewable energies in the energy matrix of the country increased from 44.9% in 2006 to 46.4% last year. Stimulated by the increase of the "flex fuel" car fleet and by the fall of the prices in the pumps, the consumption of hydrated alcohol went 46.1% up last year, to 10.4 billion liters, whereas the consumption of anhydrous alcohol, which is mixed to gasoline, increased 19.7%, to 6.2 billion liters. The export of ethanol increased 2.1%, to 4.5 billion liters. In terms of production, hydrated alcohol increased 45.2%, to 14.3 billion liters in 2007, whereas the production of anhydrous alcohol increased 4.3%, to 8.3 billion liters. The consumption of mineral coal as a source of energy grew 8.6% in 2007, a result which is only behind the 17.1% increase reached by sugarcane. The advance of mineral coal, according to the EPE, is a result of the heating of the steel sector. To supply for the growth of the national steel production, the importation of mineral coal went 13.8% up last year, to 15.2 million tons, compared to 13.3 million tons in 2006. The national production of the input went 0.2% up, to 5.89 million tons. Despite the greater use of coal, the Brazilian production of CO2 is still relatively low.