Petrobras

With an eye out to the future, we invest in renewable sources of energy

Investing in using sources of energy that neither run out nor hinder the environment is part of the objectives set by energy companies that are committed to sustainable development. The attention we have been paying to this irreversible global movement has led us to perform as an integrated energy company and to undertake research with several renewable sources of energy.

Eolian Energy
Eolian energy, that uses the wind force to generate electricity, is the energy source that is growing the most in the world – nearly 30% a year. It is also one of the sources with the least environmental impact, as it does not use water to be produced or generate polluting gases.

Eolian energy is currently being used on the large scale the world over. In the last decade, its evolution has proven its acceptance as a generation source, with expressive growth trends in the power matrices in the countries that use it. There are currently more than 30,000 MW of installed capacity in the globe.

Since 2004, we have had a pilot unit in Brazil with installed capacity for 1.8 MW. According to our Strategic Plan, the goal is, by 2010, to reach 169 MW of electric energy derived from renewable sources.

Solar Energy
Sun rays are an intense and permanent source of energy that does not pollute the ecosystem. It can be converted into thermal energy, to heat water, or into photovoltaic energy, to generate electricity. We invest in researching and applying both.

Photovoltaic systems have been being used successfully. We currently have installed capacity of some 100 kW in photovoltaic panels. This is the case of the equipment used to monitor small oil production platforms which, in the past, were energized by diesel fuel generators.

We also developed a program to install thermosolar units in our refineries, production fields, and service stations in Brazil.

Hydroelectric Energy
Producing electricity from river forces is the main resource used to generate this type of energy in Brazil. It is also from the hydroelectric plants that least expensive electric energy is obtained.

We invest in Small Hydroelectric Plants (SHPs), a source of energy that is on the rise in Brazil due to its low environmental impacts. This type of project allows the needs of small urban centers, rural regions, and industrial units to be better served.

We are investing R$1.2 billion in building 13 SHPs in four Brazilian states, a project that will generate 5,000 direct and 15,000 indirect jobs. The energy the 13 plants will generate will add up to 300 MW, enough to supply 3.5 million people. As they are concluded, the plants will market the energy they produce.

Fuel Hydrogen
The quest for the fuel that does not emit toxic compounds when used has started: all over the world, the biggest companies have been making major investments in studies to render fuel hydrogen use viable.

Our project is the hydrogen-fueled bus, which is being developed by several Brazilian scientists, among which scientists at our Research Center (Cenpes). The prototype is inspired in the trolleybus concept, i.e., electric buses that use energy generated in the vehicle itself.

The electricity will be provided by a hydrogen fuel cell. In the end of the process, the hydrogen blends with oxygen and forms water molecules, which will then be expelled through the vehicles’ exhaust pipes.