The largest natural gas thermoelectric plant in Latin America was inaugurated on Monday (17), in the municipality of Barra dos Coqueiros, in Sergipe. The Porto de Sergipe I Thermoelectric Plant will be able to meet 15% of the Northeast's energy demand, the equivalent of 16 million people. President Jair Bolsonaro and Minister of Mines and Energy, Bento Albuquerque, participated in the inauguration.

With a power of 1.5 GW, the plant is responsible for converting liquefied natural gas into electrical energy. Minister Bento Albuquerque highlighted the importance of the plant for increasing the use of renewable energy in the country.

“The Sergipe I Thermoelectric Plant is the largest natural gas plant in Latin America. Alone, it has the capacity to serve 16 million citizens, just for that reason it would already be of great relevance, however, thermal plants like Porto de Sergipe I are extremely strategic to enable the growth of the renewable energy park, exercising an activity as if it were a battery ” , said.

Thus, the minister said that it allows the cost of energy to be reduced to the consumer. “Port of Sergipe is the largest and most efficient plant in Latin America, producing energy for less than half the average cost of thermal energy produced in Brazil today. The thermal energy produced in Roraima, one megawatt hour, costs R $ 1.2 thousand. A megawatt hour from the Port of Sergipe I costs R $ 279 reais ”, said Minister Bento Albuquerque.

The natural gas used to produce energy at the plant is less polluting compared to diesel and coal. “The electricity and natural gas sectors have the potential to grow together in a sustainable manner. I draw your attention that natural gas is one of the main fuels of the energy transition towards a low carbon economy ”, said the minister.

The Porto de Sergipe I Thermoelectric Plant was built by the Sergipe Power Plants (Celse), which is formed by companies that won an energy auction for the construction of the plant.

“Private terminals like this increase the supply of gas and contribute to a healthy competitive environment. Fundamental for reducing prices to Brazilian consumers ”, said the minister.

New gas law 

The event takes place on the eve of the vote on the New Gas Law project - PL 6.407 / 13 - in the Chamber of Deputies. According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the new law will bring more legal certainty to Brazil and could generate more jobs, income, dynamism of the national economy and, consequently, boost economic growth in the country in the post-pandemic period of Covid-19 .

“What we are building are instruments of transformation in the market and creating the conditions for and removing barriers that hinder the entry of new agents in the natural gas sector in our country”, noted the Minister of Mines and Energy, Bento Albuquerque.

Estimates from the National Industry Confederation (CNI) point out that the New Gas Law will bring investments of R $ 60 billion / year, generating 4.3 million jobs in micro, small, medium and large companies in the coming years.