Main Sources of Electricity Generation in Brazil

Abstract

Brazil is one of the largest producers of electricity by means of hydroelectric plants; however, this generation process depends on large volumes of water directly affected by climate changes that, consequently, affect the production of electricity. Thus, the predominant production of electric energy, through hydroelectric plants in Brazil, is increasingly complemented by thermal plants to cope with the rapid growth of demand, the greater the amount of electricity generated by thermal plants, the more expensive is the cost of production and greater is the environmental impact due to the burning of fossil fuels. To combat this alternative, new renewable sources should be used in large scale. The three main sources of renewable energy for electricity generation in Brazil are: hydroelectric, wind and biomass of sugarcane, in specific the sugarcane bagasse. The aim of this study is to present how these renewable sources concentrate in a way regional, with the purpose of presenting how these sources can be complementary in the energy supply, according to the characteristics of seasonality of the same ones.