Eneva surpassed Petrobras to become the largest fossil power generator for the first time, expanding its portfolio by nearly 860 MW and accounting for 21.7% of emissions. Alongside Eneva and Petrobras, Eletrobras, Fram Capital, and EDF collectively produced over two-thirds of fossil electricity and related emissions. Regionally, Rio de Janeiro led state emissions with 5.3 million tCO2e, while key municipalities such as Candiota and Capivari de Baixo in the South concentrated major coal plant emissions.
Coal-fired plants remain disproportionately polluting due to low average efficiency (~33%) and high emissions intensity—some exceeding 1,000 tCO2e/GWh. The UTE Pampa Sul coal plant alone contributed 11% of total sectoral emissions. Despite international trends to phase out coal, Brazil’s federal government plans new auctions including coal and gas units, focusing on existing assets to meet peak demand and maintain grid stability. This strategy faces pushback from environmental advocates citing delays to energy transition and subsidization of polluting technologies.
Air pollution concerns are compounded by insufficient monitoring infrastructure in 13 of 39 municipalities with thermal plants, masking health risks posed by nitrogen oxides and other pollutants. The persistent and rising reliance on fossil thermal generation underscores Brazil’s complex balancing act between energy security, economic growth, and climate commitments.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
