Brazilian imports of LNG are up 6.4% so far this month, averaging 40,765 cubic meters/d in June, compared to an average 38,313 cu m/d during the prior month, according to the latest data from Platts unit, Bentek Energy.
The rise in LNG imports comes as the country experiences a surge in demand for power amid the start of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
At the end of May, hydroelectric reservoir levels in the Southeast-Central West region, which produces more than 70% of the country's hydro-power, stood at 37.42% of capacity. Reservoir levels in the same region had dipped to 36.97% as of June 16, according the Brazil's National Electric System Operator.
From January through mid-June, Brazilian imports of LNG have totaled 6.028 million cu m, already up more 5% from imports that equaled just 5.735 million cu m during the full six month period from January through June 2013. In March, Brazilian imports of LNG reached a record high at 1.504 million cu m as the country faced severe drought conditions. In February, reservoir levels in the Southeast-Central West region dipped to a 12-year low at just 34.6% of total capacity.
Hydroelectric power accounts for upwards of 75% of Brazil's total domestic power generation, followed by natural gas, responsible for producing 8.5% of the total, as of 2012. With installed capacity of 32,778 MW, thermal plants are capable of generating up to 27% of the nation's total, allowing for significant flexibility in power generation, according to Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy.
