Brazil’s PDE 2036 Projects R$ 3.3 Trillion Energy Investment And 7.2 GW Battery Storage

Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) has launched a public consultation on the Ten-Year Energy Expansion Plan (PDE) 2036, outlining the country’s energy demand, supply, infrastructure requirements and investment outlook for the next decade. The proposed plan estimates investments of R$ 3.3 trillion across the energy sector between 2027 and 2036 to strengthen infrastructure, support growing consumption and improve long-term energy security.

According to the projections, Brazil’s electricity consumption is expected to grow at an average annual rate of around 3.4%, reaching 979 terawatt-hours (TWh) by 2036. Total electricity generation is projected to increase to 1,133 TWh, compared with the expected current level of 829 TWh. The plan anticipates a gradual rise in renewable energy’s contribution to the country’s overall energy mix, from 50.2% to 51.2%. Renewables are also expected to maintain a share of close to 90% in Brazil’s electricity generation mix.

Wind and solar power are projected to play a major role in meeting future electricity demand. Together, these sources are expected to account for approximately one-third of total electricity generation over the next ten years, reflecting their growing importance in Brazil’s energy transition.

The plan also identifies increasing electricity consumption from data centres as an emerging challenge. Demand from these facilities is forecast to rise tenfold, from 3 TWh to 30 TWh by 2036. To support grid reliability and manage fluctuations in renewable electricity generation, the proposal includes 7.2 GW of battery energy storage systems and 2 GW of reversible hydroelectric power capacity.

Distributed energy generation is another key area covered in the projections. Brazil’s micro and mini distributed generation segment, known as MMGD, is expected to expand from 50 GW to 92 GW of installed capacity. This growth would reflect the increasing adoption of self-generation systems by households, businesses and other electricity consumers.

The PDE 2036 proposal is organised into four chapters covering the overall plan, energy demand, energy supply and future sector challenges. The fourth chapter invites contributions from companies, industry experts, institutions and citizens.

Interested stakeholders can submit comments and recommendations through the official MME portal and the Participatory Brazil platform until November 6. Following the consultation, the MME and the Energy Research Company (EPE) will evaluate the submissions before preparing the final report.