By Agbafo Ijeoma
Brazil is targeting an increase in the share of renewable energy in its energy mix to more than 80 per cent by 2055, as part of a long-term strategy that also seeks to double the country’s energy production over the next three decades. The plan is intended to guide decisions on energy infrastructure, production and consumption as Brazil responds to rising demand and changing patterns of energy use.
The long-term energy plan was prepared by Brazil’s Energy Research Office under the supervision of the Ministry of Mines and Energy. It projects that clean sources will account for between 97 and 99 per cent of the country’s electricity generation by 2055, compared with 96 per cent recorded in 2025, with continued investment in wind and solar power expected to drive much of the increase.
According to the plan, Brazil’s electricity demand could rise more than fourfold by 2055 as economic activity expands and new forms of energy consumption emerge. To meet the projected demand, the country plans to modernise its electricity infrastructure, including expanding transformer substations and increasing the length of its transmission network to about three times its current size.
Biofuel production is also expected to grow significantly, with the plan projecting a fivefold increase over the period, making biofuels another major component of Brazil’s energy transition. Natural gas, however, is expected to retain a strategic role as an operational reserve, providing flexibility and reliability as the contribution of renewable sources to the energy system increases.
The strategy also places emphasis on energy efficiency as a means of reducing consumption and improving savings. The plan estimates that improvements in energy-use systems could reduce the amount of energy required by more than 25 per cent compared with the level otherwise expected to be consumed in 2055.
