Natural gas: perspectives and uses

Abstract

The use of natural gas as a viable alternative for the generation of electrical energy by means of thermoelectrical plants has drawn attention since some time. However, in the last years the evolution of its participation in the Brazilian energy matrix has not increased the way it was expected. After the devaluation of the Brazilian Real, which took place in early 1999, the proposed model proved its vulnerability for the insertion of natural gas into the Brazilian context, due to the indexation of its price to the American dollar. In addition, the installation of power plants faced both environmental and commercial barriers, proving the fragility of the model adopted by then. On the other hand, the distribution of natural gas is a reality, reinforced by the Bolivia-Brazil Gas Pipe – a project for the use of gas for thermoelectrical generation purposes. Despite this, other forms to use this energetical potential may and must be fomented to seek for the best systemic yield. Therefore, the present work deals with the relevant aspects to increase the use of natural gas in the Brazilian energy matrix, aiming the systematizing of its use for being a primary source of energy from fossil origin, consequently non-renewable, and its use is eventually determined to last for a period.