Rio de Renewables: Brazil Booms in Clean Energy

At a time where global powers struggle to clean their energy grids, one country stands above the rest: Brazil. 93% of Brazil’s energy is renewable, the highest of any G20 nation, with 80% of its power coming from hydroelectric plants. It’s clear that Brazil is doing something right, and the rest of the world must learn from it.

Hydroelectricity is a large part of Brazil’s green energy story. Brazilian geography puts the country at an advantage. Not only is the Amazon River Basin massive, but the Amazon region has elevation changes essential for building the hydroelectric dams themselves.

Although Brazil’s energy output may be dominated by a reliable hydropower supply in the status quo, the country is setting itself up for an extremely diverse clean energy sector. Private investors along with development banks are investing in Brazil’s solar and wind farms. What’s more noteworthy, however, is how scrappy Brazil’s clean energy pool is. Brazil is severely damaged by illegal deforestation, with activity rising by 19% last year, but Brazilians have used it as an opportunity to pump out renewable energy. Biomass, or forestry waste, now accounts for 4.6% of energy production in Brazil. An example of biofuels in Brazil is sugar. Raízen, the third largest energy company in Brazil by revenue, has found a specialty in innovating sugar and ethanol as a clean energy source. The more that Brazilian firms can find ways to use the resources around them to power the country, the closer Brazil will be to net zero emissions and drive the rest of the world to do the same.

Brazil is in the best position to use its green energy supply for a greater use: green hydrogen. Green hydrogen involves the electric splitting of water molecules to create hydrogen cells, where hydrogen gas molecules bind to oxygen gas molecules and create energy. In order for the process to be net energy positive and renewable, vast amounts of clean energy are needed. At the same time, it is by far the best way to apply renewable energy in industries such as steel and shipping. Due to Brazil’s remarkable clean energy storages, it can power hydrogen fuel cells sustainably to power energy-releasing reactions. Already, this is making Brazil’s green hydrogen market competitive, driving prices down. What’s more, is that Brazil is estimated to see about $200 billion USD in green hydrogen investment, potentially allowing Brazil to compete with the U.S. and China, the only other countries with more renewable energy.

Most of the developed world is struggling to meet even baseline net zero targets, while Brazil is almost producing enough clean energy to single-handedly power the lives of 211M people, the clear leader in tackling the challenge. Brazil may be the country to carry the world into a new age of energy, but that will require true global cooperation.

Extemp Analysis by Blake McFalls

Extemp question: Will Brazil become a global leader in green hydrogen?

A: I would go for yes, but I will get to that soon.

AGD: I like to use r/nottheonion generally, but Brazil is pretty interesting in culture and in politics, with Bolsonaro and such.

Background: Talk about why the question is being asked in the first place: Brazil’s clean energy sector and its strength in the first part of your background. Then, explain why green energy can translate to green hydrogen, specifically with Brazil:

SOS: Climate change related issues are very easy for significance; I have filed stats on Prepd about climate change deaths and how close the world is to the point of no return. Couple stats with rhetoric here.

Thesis: Once again, yes is the easier answer. Answering no means that you would have to actively combat the reasons why Brazil would be a leader in green hydrogen, which there are a lot of, whereas you only need to say why Brazil can produce green hydrogen if you answer yes. This is typically the case with will questions, but especially the case here.

Sample points:

• Auxiliary clean energy

• Grid versatility

• Pre-existing industry

Substructure: The “will” in the question indicates status quo/change/impact substructure, but of course, there are many variations to this. If you answer yes in the sq/ch substructure, Brazil becoming a green hydrogen leader needs to be your B (change) and thus a contrast compared to your A. My personal favorite way to answer sq/ch questions with a yes answer is past barriers and then why these barriers are overcome. You must adapt this creatively in this question. My approach would be the following:

A: why other countries fail in green hydrogen production.

B: why Brazil is different, and will succeed.

C: Brazil is on the map and doing good things.

Let’s use sample point 3 as an example:

A: Green hydrogen development prices are very high because of a lack of entrepreneurial experience in the industry in (example country.)

B: Brazil has been propping up green hydrogen developing companies which means prices of energy production through that are falling.

C: Brazilian companies will power the world further sustainably.

Read More Here:

• Maya Derrick, Energy Digital

• Dallas Lloyd, Stanford University

• Patricia Carvalho, International Finance Corporation

• Shanna Hanbury, Mongabay

• Bioenergy Insight

• Engie

• Alexandre Sawaya, McKinsey & Company