At the invitation of the Government of Sergipe, director of the ANP gets to know projects in the gas area under development in the state

With the purpose of presenting existing projects in the area of ​​oil and natural gas in Sergipe to the director of the National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), Cláudio Jorge Souza, the State Government, through the State Secretariat for Development Economic and Science and Technology (Sedetec), this Tuesday, the 7th, provided a guided tour of the Sergipe Gas Hub. The route passed by the thermoelectric plant managed by Eneva, the construction site of the gas pipeline being built by Transportadora Associada de Gás Natural (TAG) and Unigel.

According to the director of the ANP, Cláudio Jorge Souza, his visit to Sergipe had several reasons, including debates with Sedetec on the state’s development and technical visits. “Going through the work on the new TAG pipeline, the thermal plant that is fully operational and Unigel was very fruitful. The forecast is that we will have new demands for gas in the country, and these works that are taking place in the state will be fundamental to these demands”, detailed the director.

According to the executive secretary of Sedetec, Marcelo Menezes, the gas agenda is advancing significantly in the state. “Today we had three important visits. The ANP director was able to learn about the major Eneva project, and also the construction of the gas pipeline that will connect the LNG terminal to the transport network, opening up business opportunities for the state. This represents an important advance for Sergipe, allowing an increase in gas supply, greater competition and competitive prices. We also paid a visit here to Unigel, which is a very important plant in the state of Sergipe and anchor of a very relevant economic chain”, he highlighted.

The Public Services Regulatory Agency of the State of Sergipe (Agrese) was also present participating in the agendas. “For Agrese, as a state regulatory body, it is essential to participate and interact with the director of the ANP during his visit to Sergipe”, reinforced the Technical Administrative and Financial director of Agrese, Alexandre Sobral.

Visits

During his visit to Eneva, the director was able to see up close the UTE Porto de Sergipe I, located in Barra dos Coqueiros, which has one of the largest operations in the gas and energy sector in the world. “It is a great pleasure to welcome this delegation here at our plant, especially director Cláudio Jorge. In these opportunities, we were able to show in practice everything we are working on by demonstrating our current venture and the possibilities of what we can bring, in the long term, to the state of Sergipe”, highlighted Eneva’s Institutional Relations Manager, Rômulo de Souza .

Following the schedule, the delegation went to the TAG construction site, where participants were able to learn more about the natural gas transport pipeline project and access infrastructure necessary to connect Eneva’s LNG Storage and Regasification Terminal to the network of the Carrier. “TAG welcomes this group with great joy, especially director Cláudio Jorge, because this project represents the introduction of a new form of access, approved by the Agency, to natural gas infrastructure, bringing the opportunity to connect a new source of supply to the system integrated. We understand that the transport system is a way of connecting different sources of supply to local markets, and at the same time it also offers security of supply to thermal plants. TAG is very happy to continue the market opening process in a diversified and innovative way, generating new jobs and multiplier effects on the local economy”, argued TAG’s Regulatory Affairs Manager, Cristina Sayão.

Unigel

Finishing the visits to companies located in Sergipe, the guests went to Unigel, located in Laranjeiras. The Sergipe unit resumed operations in August this year and has a production capacity of 450 thousand tons of ammonia and 650 thousand tons of urea per year. Currently, Unigel is the largest consumer of gas in the state.

The director of Government Relations and New Business at Unigel, Eduardo Barreto, recalled, on the occasion, the moment the production of nitrogen fertilizers in the country is going through. “We want to thank the ANP for its support and say that we hope to continue contributing to Brazilian agribusiness, to the Brazilian economy, and for this all actors need to be united, aiming for the common good of the country and society”. In turn, the company’s CEO, Roberto Noronha, highlighted the investments made in Sergipe. “We will continue fighting for Brazil to be self-sufficient in fertilizers. And for this to happen, government support is essential,” he added.

The executive secretary of Sedetec, Marcelo Menezes, recognizes the challenges faced by the sector and states that the State Government is committed to supporting the company. “We know the difficulty the sector has been experiencing due to the price of gas, which is currently not competitive for the industry to produce nitrogen fertilizer, but the State has stepped up. Governor Fábio Mitidieri and the Secretary of State for Economic Development, Science and Technology, Valmor Barbosa, have spared no effort in searching for alternatives and ways to alleviate this situation, in order to be attentive to opportunities and contribute to the continuation of production here in Sergipe”, he highlighted.