The year 2024 was crucial for the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), cementing Brazil as a global leader in the energy transition, a process essential for building a green future. Under the leadership of Minister Alexandre Silveira, the Ministry has made significant progress on several fronts, focusing on implementing new legislation that strengthens Brazil’s commitment to sustainable development.
Through outstanding actions in the areas of energy, biofuels and mining, the Ministry of Environment and Energy has worked tirelessly, in 2024, to ensure that Brazil not only meets its own needs, but positions itself as a global champion in the process of energy and economic transformation.
“The energy transition represents a historic opportunity for Brazil. Therefore, our great commitment to leading this process with social justice, respect for the environment, and creating green jobs, ensures that the country remains at the forefront of energy innovation. To our advantage, we have enormous reserves of strategic minerals, Abundant sunshine, 12% of the planet’s total fresh water, and abundant winds: “We will continue to work to make this process fairer and more inclusive every day,” Minister Alexandre Silveira stated when recalling the annual route.
One of the key actions for 2024 was the creation of the National Policy for Energy Transition (PNTE), which was approved at the meeting of the National Council for Energy Policy (CNPE). The PNTE program sets out a strategic plan for Brazil, with forecasts of investments worth R$2 trillion over the next ten years, dedicated to the development of the so-called green economy. These resources will be directed to key areas such as clean and renewable electricity, sustainable low-carbon fuels and sustainable mining, all of which are essential for the country’s energy transition.
The policy sets out the guiding principles that will guide the Brazilian energy transition strategy, and reaffirms the federal government’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, generating new jobs, ensuring security of energy supply and combating social and regional inequalities.
Future Fuel and Gas Employment Act
In 2024, Brazil takes a key step in its energy transition by passing the Future Fuels Law. The new legislation opens doors to the development of biofuels and low-carbon synthetic fuels, in addition to encouraging innovation and job creation in an expanding sector. Through this law, Brazil strengthens its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting the renewable energy industry and positioning itself as a leader in the production and export of green fuels.
“The Future Fuels Law represents a milestone for Brazil and the world. We have created the basic conditions for the country to be a champion in clean energy production and take the lead in innovative solutions for the energy transition,” Minister Silveira declared.
Another key action taken by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment in 2024 is the launch of the Gás para Empregar programme, a strategic initiative aimed at expanding natural gas supplies in Brazil and reducing its prices for the end consumer. For Minister Alexandre Silveira, the signing of the decree marked the beginning of a major transformation in the sector, with positive effects on the competitiveness of the industry, generating new jobs and reducing regional disparities.
Electrical energy
In the electric power sector, the year promoted progress in power generation, transmission and distribution. Data from the Ministry of Municipality and Environment and the National Electric Power Authority, until November 2024, indicate that the installed generation capacity reached 207.6 gigawatts, driven by significant growth in renewable energy sources, with a focus on solar and wind energy. The Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) contributed to the expansion of installed capacity, with the completion of 245 plants and investments worth R$ 42.32 billion.
The expansion of the transmission network reached 2,600 kilometers of lines and 11,400 MVA of conversion capacity, ensuring integration between the various regions of Brazil and optimal exploitation of existing energy resources. The Manaus-Boa Vista transmission line, responsible for integrating Roraima into the National Interconnected System (SIN), is now effectively more than 50% complete. The Ministry of Municipality and Environment also improved standards for import and export of electric power, strengthened legal security and developed new business with Argentina and Uruguay.
In the field of distribution, the Ministry prepared Decree No. 12.054 of 2024, which specified the conditions for ensuring energy supply in isolated systems. In turn, Decree No. 12.068/2024 established rules for extending distribution concessions that expire between 2025 and 2031, promoting greater flexibility in regulation and encouraging competition in this sector. Moreover, the Ministry, in cooperation with the Electric Power Chamber of Commerce, designed a new system for order announcements from distribution agents at energy auctions, reducing bureaucracy in the process and increasing information security.
Mining
The year 2024 was marked by a renewed commitment to responsible mining, particularly in the context of the restructuring of the National Mining Agency, reinforced by the publication of Law No. 14875/2024. This law, in addition to modernizing and bringing the wages of civil servants in line with the standards of other regulatory agencies in the country, also strengthened ANM’s ability to work more efficiently in monitoring and regulating the mineral sector. The Ministry’s actions with the federal government resulted in the authorization of 40 people certified in the 2022 competition, in order to reconfigure the agency’s workforce, which is crucial to improving the services provided to the community and agents in the mineral sector.
A new competition, with 220 vacant positions, was also approved by Decree of the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI) No. 4,595. These measures aim to increase inspection capacity and provide flexibility and efficiency in operations related to mining safety. However, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, in cooperation with MGI, has facilitated the creation of more than one hundred commission positions, which will contribute to improving the structure of ANM and enhancing its performance in the field of mining operations safety.
Another pillar of 2024 is the implementation of the Mariana Agreement, which after several negotiations between the Ministry of Municipality and Environment and other federal government bodies was able to reach the final amount of R$ 170 billion, which will be allocated to repair and restore the damage caused by the disaster. disaster. The Trustee will promote fair compensation and advance risk mitigation measures. Of this amount, R$1 billion will be allocated to restructuring ANM.
“Developing safe, fair and responsible mining is one of the priorities of our President’s government and in this direction we will continue to work. Brazil is positioned as one of the largest producers of minerals that are essential for the advancement of energy storage technologies, such as electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy systems, which puts our country in a privileged position to attract Investments in low-carbon energy storage technologies “We will continue to invest in this sector so that it grows as safely as it should be a government agency,” Silveira concluded
