The increase in the use of renewable energy is not accompanied by a decrease in coal burning
The energy transition is one of the topics driving climate debates on the international stage. Many countries have come forward to adopt measures to promote the energy transition based on reducing the use of non-renewable energy, such as coal and the burning of fossil fuels. Brazil has always placed itself on the sidelines of such debates because of its energy matrix centered on hydropower generation. However, what is not mentioned is the growing interest in expanding thermal power plants in the country.
In recent years, Brazil has seen a 77% growth in energy production through coal-fired thermal power plants. This has led to a rise in the representation of thermoelectric energy from 9% to 14% in the national system, according to data from the Institute for Energy and Environment (IEMA) as of 2021. The expansion of the use of energy generated by burning fossil fuels goes against the grain of greenhouse gas reduction goals. Moreover, using this energy requires a large amount of water, which may exacerbate water stress.
During his participation in the National Symposium on the Climate Emergency and Human Rights Violations, promoted by the National Council of Human Rights (CNDH) last December, in Brasilia, member of the Commission against Megamining in Rio Grande do Sul Eduardo Ragosi, who forms the edifice of the Amigas da Terra team, attended Brasil states that the use of coal is one of the most polluting forms of power generation, due to the production of greenhouse gases and local impacts. According to him: “Compared, for example, with photovoltaics, despite all the problems in the production and waste chain, photovoltaics will still release between 30 grams and 80 grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt hour generated. Coal will release as much Between 600g and 1,600g “just so we can get an idea of what size we’re talking about.”
According to Eduardo, there are more than 4,000 coal-fired thermal power stations in the world, and although there is an increase in the use of solar and renewable wind energy, this movement is not accompanied by a decrease in the use of energy resulting from combustion. coal. . “We are aware of this situation, yes, there is an increase in the supply of energy generated from wind and solar energy around the world, but at the same time, there is no decrease in fossil fuels. So, in practical terms, this energy transition is not what It happens, what happens is new supplies from new sources, but our demand for energy at the global level is only increasing,” explains Eduardo.
In addition to climate impacts, demand for coal is creating social and environmental conflicts. The majority of the country’s available coal is concentrated in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, about 90%, with some reserves in Santa Catarina and Parana. For example, the Mina Guayba project involves operating the largest open-pit coal mine in Brazil, between the cities of El Dorado do Sul and Charquidas, 16 kilometers from the capital, Porto Alegre. The project affected indigenous lands in the Mbeya Guarani, and local communities were not consulted to obtain prior authorization. A fact that, together with various flaws and omissions in the studies conducted by COPELM, led to its archiving. In addition to indigenous lands, the Guayba mine will affect agrarian reform settlements, the Delta do Jaqui State Park, as well as surrounding municipalities, in addition to being located in the pampa bioregion, which stores one of the largest reserves of drinking water. In the world, the Guarani aquifer.
It was only through grassroots organization that the opening of another coal mine in Republika Srpska could be stopped. More than 100 organized bodies of the Committee against Megamining in Republika Srpska prepared studies, collected data, created various information materials, shaped and mobilized public debate as much as they could to put pressure on the state government and the judiciary not to approve the work. The demand of the popular movements is to stop the coal chain in the country, taking into account the environmental and social impacts and the low efficiency of coal for power generation, and to guarantee the rights of workers in the sector, while building economic alternatives. For coal areas
Another key aspect raised by the organizations concerns health impacts. Ragos points out that studies have identified an increase in damage to lymphocytes and mouth cells in workers in the coal industry, with changes in blood tests also identified in populations living around mines and thermal power plants. Furthermore, it highlights that impacts on chicken eggs, livestock, local flora, fauna and water have already been identified.
Moreover, integrating thermal energy into the national system is one of the main factors for increasing energy bills, as it is a highly subsidized sector. If we, as consumers, notice the red flag costs that appear on our electricity bills when a thermoelectric system is activated, we will also understand why it is not a viable source of energy.
The reality of social and environmental conflicts caused by coal in Republika Srpska reveals the contradictions in promoting the energy transition. This is because while reducing emissions is promoted on the one hand, the use of thermoelectric power plants is encouraged on the other hand. What reveals this scenario is Law No. 11247/2018, which aims to regulate the use of offshore (high seas) wind farms. It stipulates, among its provisions, the mandatory contracting of thermal energy until 2050. The project was one of the examples highlighted by the National Congress, of the Brazilian energy transition at the COP28 conference (United Nations Climate Change Conference), held in 2023 in Dubai, in United Arab Emirates.
As suggested by the organizations of the Committee against Megamining in Republika Srpska, by problematizing the continuity of the coal production chain, we are moving towards rethinking the use of this production model that has significant social, environmental and financial impacts, in a climate of crisis scenario of change that requires urgent action, in within the next ten years. A call to think about Brazil’s energy transition in a truly fair and equal way.
*This is an opinion text and does not necessarily reflect the editorial line of the newspaper Brazil in fact.
Edited by: Nicolau Soares
(Tags for translation) Friends of the Earth Brazil
