Search Results (29)

The transition to a low-carbon energy matrix has driven the electrification of vehicles (EVs), yet charging infrastructure—particularly fast direct current (DC) chargers—can negatively impact distribution networks. This study investigates the integration of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESSs) with the power grid, focusing on the E-Lounge project in Brazil as a strategy to mitigate these impacts. The results demonstrated a 21-fold increase in charging sessions and an energy consumption growth from 0.6 MWh to 10.36 MWh between June 2023 and March 2024. Compared to previous findings, which indicated the need for more robust systems, the integration of a 100 kW/138 kWh BESS with DC fast chargers (60 kW) and AC chargers (22 kW) proved effective in reducing peak demand, optimizing energy management, and enhancing grid stability. These findings confirm the critical role of BESSs in establishing a sustainable EV charging infrastructure, demonstrating improvements in power quality and the mitigation of grid impacts. The results presented in this study stem from a project approved under the Research and Development program of the Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL) through strategic call No. 022/2018. This initiative aimed to develop a modular EV charging infrastructure for fleet vehicles in Brazil, ensuring minimal impact on the distribution network. Full article

This study evaluates whether pumped hydro storage (PHS) systems are economically competitive compared to natural gas thermal power plants in meeting peak load demand in Brazil and identifies the barriers and challenges that hinder their widespread adoption. It also examines the strategies, market mechanisms, and policy implications necessary to improve the economic and operational viability of PHS, enabling greater integration of variable renewable energy sources into the Brazilian power system. Using the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) method, PHS is compared with natural gas thermoelectric plants for peak demand scenarios in Brazil. The results of simulations indicate that PHS is economically viable for operations exceeding seven hours per day, offering lower costs. In contrast, natural gas technologies are more cost-effective for shorter operations. The results provide two key contributions: they characterise the basic conditions under which PHS systems are more competitive than thermal power plants in meeting electricity demand, and they propose a methodology for calculating the LCOE of the analysed technological options, tailored to the Brazilian energy market. The conclusions highlight the potential of PHS to contribute to Brazil’s sustainable energy transition, provided that appropriate policies are implemented. These policies are especially crucial in scenarios where PHS is not economically competitive, to ensure compensation mechanisms for the flexibility services provided and the implementation of carbon pricing. Additionally, retrofitting existing hydropower plants to incorporate PHS components may reduce costs and mitigate environmental impacts compared to constructing new PHS facilities. Full article

Conventional hydrogen production processes, which often involve fossil raw materials, emit significant amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This study critically evaluates the feasibility of using sugarcane biomass as an energy source to produce green hydrogen. In the 2023/2024 harvest, Brazil, the world’s largest sugarcane producer, processed approximately 713.2 million metric tons of sugarcane. This yielded 45.68 million metric tons of sugar and 29.69 billion liters of first-generation ethanol, equivalent to approximately 0.0416 liters of ethanol per kilogram of sugarcane. A systematic literature review was conducted using Scopus and Clarivate Analytics Web of Science, resulting in the assessment of 335 articles. The study has identified seven potential biohydrogen production methods, including two direct approaches from second-generation ethanol and five from integrated bioenergy systems. Experimental data indicate that second-generation ethanol can yield 594 MJ per metric ton of biomass, with additional energy recovery from lignin combustion (1705 MJ per metric ton). Moreover, advances in electrocatalytic reforming and plasma-driven hydrogen production have demonstrated high conversion efficiencies, addressing key technical barriers. The results highlight Brazil’s strategic potential to integrate biohydrogen production within its existing bioenergy infrastructure. By leveraging sugarcane biomass for green hydrogen, the country can contribute significantly to the global transition to sustainable energy while enhancing its energy security. Full article

This manuscript explores the role of green hydrogen produced through ethanol reforming in accelerating Brazil’s transition to a low-carbon economic framework. Despite ongoing efforts to lessen carbon dependence, Brazil’s reliance on biofuels and other renewable energy sources remains inadequate for fully achieving its decarbonization objectives. Green hydrogen presents a vital opportunity to boost energy sustainability, especially in sectors that are challenging to decarbonize, such as industry and transportation. By analyzing Brazil’s input–output (I-O) table, using data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), this study evaluates the macroeconomic potential of green hydrogen, focusing on GDP growth and employment generation. Furthermore, the research explores green hydrogen systems’ economic feasibility and potential impact on future energy policies, offering valuable insights for stakeholders and decision-makers. In addition, this investigation highlights Brazil’s abundant renewable resources and identifies the infrastructural investments necessary to support a green hydrogen economy. The findings aim to strengthen Brazil’s national decarbonization strategy and serve as a model for other developing nations transitioning to clean energy. Full article

The transport sector, and especially the increase in individual vehicle ownership, contribute significantly to air pollution. The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is seen as a sustainable alternative to reduce emissions of polluting gases. However, in Brazil, the EV market has not yet reached a significant size. Given this scenario, this study aims to analyze the factors that influence the decision to buy EVs in Brazil, highlighting personal, psychological, economic, performance, and environmental variables and barriers. The aim is also to develop a model with guidelines that can help stakeholders. The quantitative stage of the study involved a survey of 514 respondents. The data were analyzed using statistical methods, including structural equation modeling (SEM), which allowed for a deeper investigation of the proposed hypotheses. The survey findings reveal that, in the Brazilian context, performance factors—such as autonomy, availability of recharging infrastructure, and maintenance—are the main drivers influencing EV purchase decisions. Environmental factors, including energy reuse, pollution reduction, and minimizing environmental impacts, have also gained significant importance. Economic factors are crucial, particularly concerning cost–benefit perceptions. The differences between Brazil and other regions highlight the importance of accounting for cultural and economic variations when analyzing consumer behavior towards EVs. Full article

In the context of high energy costs and energy transition, the optimal use of energy resources for industrial consumption is of fundamental importance. This paper presents a decision-making structure for large consumers with flexibility to manage electricity or natural gas consumption to satisfy the demands of industrial processes. The proposed modelling energy system structure relates monthly medium and hourly short-term decisions to which these agents are subjected, represented by two connected optimization models. In the medium term, the decision occurs under uncertain conditions of energy and natural gas market prices, as well as hydropower generation (self-production). The monthly decision is represented by a risk-constrained optimization model. In the short term, hourly optimization considers the operational flexibility of energy and/or natural gas consumption, subject to the strategy defined in the medium term and mathematically connected by a regret cost function. The model application of a real case of a Brazilian aluminum producer indicates a measured energy cost reduction of USD 3.98 millions over a six-month analysis period. Full article

It is well known that the widespread utilization of fossil fuels contributes to climate change, so exploring new sustainable energy sources is more important than ever for energy transition pathways. The variability and intermittency of solar and wind sources are of concern. Hydrogen (H₂) utilization as an energy carrier can address this issue. The technology for producing hydrogen from biomass gasification has not yet reached a high level of technological maturity. The main novelty of this work is to evaluate the state of the art of the technologies for producing H₂ from solid biomass, taking into account technological, economic, and environmental indicators and the results of a bibliometric study, and also the calculation of the technical potential for hydrogen production through biomass gasification on a worldwide and Brazilian scale. The most frequently mentioned technology to boost H₂ production efficiency is the addition of catalysts to the gasifier. Primary catalyst utilized in biomass gasification for hydrogen enhancing enhancement, such as olivine, CaO, and CeO₂-Ni-CaO are reviewed in the article. As a result, the syngas had an H₂ content rise of 511%, 659.6%, and 853.4%, respectively. According to the reviewed literature, the levelized cost of hydrogen production can reach an average value of USD3.15/kg of H₂, and the average yield is 0.1 kg-H₂/kg-biomass. The worldwide potential for hydrogen production from solid biomass in an optimal trends scenario for 2050 is estimated to be 45.03 EJ, and Brazil’s potential is 6.5 EJ. Full article

The global transition towards environmentally friendly energy sources plays a major role in addressing both energy security and climate change. Brazil is at the forefront of this transition due to its rich natural resources and increasing investments in biofuels. Therefore, this investigation examines the consumption patterns and interactions between ethanol, primarily sourced from sugarcane, and gasoline within Brazil’s energy framework. Ethanol’s renewability, reduced environmental impact, and superior combustion characteristics position it as a feasible substitute for traditional fossil fuels. Nonetheless, obstacles like competition for land use and inadequate distribution infrastructure impede its widespread acceptance. This study explores the economic interaction between ethanol and gasoline, focusing on pricing dynamics and regional influences. Using consumer preferences and the accessibility of ethanol, this research identifies a range of price ratios within which consumer preferences shift from gasoline to ethanol in various Brazilian regions. The study also classifies Brazilian states into three distinct ranges based on the ethanol-to-gasoline price ratio in 2023 for a granular analysis of the economic dynamics influencing fuel choice. The research identifies states with competitive and dominant ethanol markets by examining the interplay between ethanol market share, fuel prices, and the adoption of flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) in the country. Lastly, the findings support the importance of regional economic conditions and the influence of price ratios on consumer behavior, highlighting that ethanol’s market share does not always correlate with favorable pricing. Full article

This article applies the exergy analysis to the production and use of sugarcane, considering a model published in the literature. In this way, we compute incident solar irradiation, carbohydrate production, water consumption, and the production of stalks and straws. Following the production estimate, we analyze a biorefinery production cycle, from solar irradiation to the biorefinery products on an exergy basis, from birth to production of sugar, electrical energy, and ethanol. The calculated sugarcane production values are 80.7 tons per hectare for a 52-week cycle. As a result, the average exergy efficiency of sugarcane is 4.99%, reaching peaks of 8.3%. When considering only the useful exergy generated in the production of stalks and straw, an annual yield of 17.86 kWh/m² represents an overall exergy efficiency of 1.31%. Considering the energy conversion processes in the biorefinery, the exergy efficiency from the radiation to the products from the biorefinery was 0.38%. The photovoltaic modules already have a well-established application in the country, though they need to increase their insertion over time, whereby the panels exhibit an average exergy efficiency of 31.6%, resulting in an annual electrical energy production of 255.84 kWh/m². The results show that photovoltaic modules are a more efficient alternative than sugarcane regarding exergy land use. In conclusion, this study briefly discusses the use of sugarcane and photovoltaic modules in the context of Brazil’s energy transition towards a reduced dependence on fossil fuels, based on the fact that sugarcane already has a low carbon footprint for transportation using ethanol, with supply from more than 40,000 stations, and a similar or lower carbon footprint than electrical vehicles used across the country. Full article

The world is experiencing an energy transition, migrating from fossil fuels to renewables, which are usually intermittent and, therefore, require flexibility to keep the power system reliable. Although system flexibility is a well-known theme of research, the question “What is a fair cost for flexibility?” remains to be answered. The present paper proposes a metric to estimate the value of a flexible resource to a power system. This metric is especially important in hydroelectric systems, where the flexibility of the hydro portfolio is uncertain and subject to seasonal changes and other considerations such as agricultural use. The valuation of a flexible resource by its cost–benefit is necessary since its installation generates operational savings to the entire system. A combined project cost and system overall savings is proposed to assess the net cost of a flexible resource. The net cost of flexibility can be used as a metric to rank flexibility candidates in systems with large amounts of renewable energy. A simplified case study of the Brazilian energy system is presented, and the flexibility solutions are evaluated according to the new metric. Results show how different technologies impact the system overall costs and the importance of analyzing system needs (both short and medium terms) when planning the expansion of flexibility in hydro systems. Full article

The exploration of Hot Dry Rock (HDR) geothermal energy is essential to fulfill the energy demands of the increasing population. Investigating the physical and mechanical properties of heated rock under different cooling methods has significant implications for the exploitation of HDR. In this study, ultrasonic testing, uniaxial strength compression experiments, Brazilian splitting tests, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were conducted on heated granite after different cooling methods, including cooling in air, cooling in water, cooling in liquid nitrogen, and cycle cooling in liquid nitrogen. The results demonstrated that the density, P-wave velocity (V_p), uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), tensile strength (σ_t), and elastic modulus (E) of heated granite tend to decrease as the cooling rate increases. Notably, heated granite subjected to cyclic liquid nitrogen cooling exhibits a more pronounced decline in physical and mechanical properties and a higher degree of damage. Furthermore, the cooling treatments also lead to an increase in rock pore size and porosity. At a faster cooling rate, the fracture surfaces of the granite transition from smooth to rough, suggesting enhanced fracture propagation and complexity. These findings provide critical theoretical insights into optimizing stimulation performance strategies for HDR exploitation. Full article

In the transition to electric mobility (EM), business model innovation plays a crucial role in expanding the use of electric vehicles and increasing acceptance of this technology. The transition pathways differ between countries in the largest economies and those in Latin America. Brazil presents a unique scenario, benefiting from an early start with biofuels, the production of flex-fuel vehicles, predominantly renewable electric energy generation (>80%), and the absence of a structured national policy aligned with local governments. This study introduces a framework that surveys and categorizes businesses in EM, relating them to sustainable development aspects and regulatory maturity. It builds a solid conceptual foundation, incorporating data from technical and commercial events, as well as interviews with Brazilian specialists for validation. The proposed framework aids in understanding the Brazilian context, identifying regulatory gaps, and developing a common language to advance studies on business model innovation, contributing to electromobility studies in Latin America. Additionally, it can guide the construction of regional and local public policies and help identify more sustainable projects. Full article

Oil and gas refineries play a key role in the economies of countries by providing energy to various industrial sectors. A lack of an integrated efficiency analysis procedure, in many industries, could significantly impact the planning of sustainable industrial structures and operations. It also can influence company performance and competitiveness, and, eventually, negatively compromise the fuel supply process. All these problems taken together might negatively impact the environment and sustainable practices. Studies of efficiency in the oil industry can help to reduce its environmental and social impact and to achieve long-term green transition goals. In this work, the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method was used to present improvement goals for production units, based on efficiency indexes. Furthermore, the DEA window analysis model, integrated with the Malmquist index and cluster analysis, was used to evaluate efficiency and the factors that explain the differences between refineries in a number of timeframes. A numerical analysis was carried out with data collected from 12 Brazilian oil refineries between 2012 and 2020, using DEA window analysis, cluster analysis, and the Malmquist index. Full article

Exergy is a thermodynamic concept that ponders the quality of energy. It evaluates the irreversibilities of a machine, demonstrating its capacity to perform work associated with energy conversion. This article focuses on directing public policies and vehicle development toward their most proper usage worldwide. In the urban mobility scenario, there is an obvious demand to decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In addition, the internal combustion engine (ICE) experiences considerable energy losses through heat exchange through the radiator and exhaust flow gases, which are not considerable in battery electric vehicles (BEVs) since there are no exhaust gases subsequent to combustion, nor combustion itself. This work presents longitudinal dynamics simulations of passenger vehicles to understand the magnitude of exergy destruction in ICEVs and BEVs, considering the Brazilian and European Union electric energy mix. Overall, the method can be applied to any other country. The simulation and model parameters were configured to match production road vehicles commercialized in the Brazilian market based on different versions of the same model. Two vehicle dynamic duty cycles were used, one relating to urban usage and another to highway usage, resulting in an overall exergy efficiency of around 50–51% for BEVs considering the exergy destruction in power plants. In contrast, ICE has an average efficiency of 20% in the urban cycle and around 30% in the highway cycle. By comparing the overall equivalent CO₂ emissions, it is possible to conclude that EVs in the European energy matrix produce more GHG than ICE vehicles running on ethanol in Brazil. Nevertheless, there are increasing uses of coal, natural gas, and oil thermal electric power plants, raising the question of how the transition may occur with a general increase in electrification since there is an increasing electric expenditure in all sectors of society, and the renewable energy plants may not meet all of the demand. Full article

Seas and oceans offer great potential as a widely available source of clean and renewable energy near high energy consumption centers. This source of energy is a valuable option in the energy transition and in energy matrix decarbonization. Wave energy and an oscillating water column (OWC) device stand out as the types of ocean energy with the most potential. An onshore OWC requires locations with rocky outcrops and steeper slopes as the device needs to be physically installed and has lower energy dissipation due to friction with the seabed. However, Brazil has approximately 7490 km of coastlines, with various shoreline geometries and geomorphologies, some of which are very suitable for OWC implementation. Some authors have estimated that the Brazilian coast has a total potential of 114 GW, distributed between wave and tidal energy, with a great possibility of contributing to global decarbonization efforts. This study aimed to identify and quantify the potential of locations suitable for implementing wave energy farms equipped with onshore OWC. For this, a prospect was carried out using the georeferencing software QGIS, resulting in a georeferenced map with a dataset of 319 locations, and determining a power capacity of exploitation of 9.84 GW and an estimated energy of 83,689 GWh/year in ten of the seventeen coastal states. This energy corresponds to twice the energy consumption of the state of Rio de Janeiro, which has a population of approximately 17.5 million people. If the same amount of wave energy as gas-fired thermal generation energy were to be consumed, the use of wave energy would reduce emissions by approximately 44.52 million tons of CO₂ annually. This result suggests that wave energy generation should be included in future studies on the expansion of Brazilian electric systems as an accelerating factor in the energy transition. Full article