Brazil and Energy in 11 images

Updated on 03.09.2026

5 min read

Middle School High School

History, geography and geopolitics

Detailed close-up of the globe representing South America

1. An Energy Giant, a Fragile Primary Forest

With some of the world's most powerful hydroelectric dams, promising and gas reserves, and extensive experience in nuclear , Brazil has enormous energy resources.

But the country must also balance this development with the protection of the Amazon rainforest, a major ecosystem that is currently under pressure from and deforestation.

2. The “Singing Stone” Dam

Built between 1975 and 1982 on the Paraná River, on the border between Brazil and Paraguay, the Itaipu Dam (" The Singing Stone" in the Guarani language) is the world's second-largest in terms of (14,000 MW maximum, or more than 10 nuclear reactors), behind the Three Gorges Dam in China.

It is a symbol of Brazil's hydroelectric power, which provides more than three-quarters of the country's .

3. The Belo Monte Dam: 40 Years of Controversy

The Belo Monte Dam, located in the heart of the Amazon rainforest on the Xingu River, is the fourth-largest in the world (11,000 MW). This iconic project has been plagued by cost overruns, reduced performance due to the river's irregularity, and criticism from Amazonian peoples.

They accuse it of weakening the ecosystems of the primary forest and forcing many local tribes to change their way of life. Here, a demonstration by the Munduruku Indians in Brasilia.

4. Rapid growth in Wind and Solar Power

Faced with difficulties in its hydroelectric sector, Brazil has undertaken to diversify its electricity production, particularly through wind and solar power. Multiple projects are underway, mainly in the large, poor region of the Nordeste, where winds are steady during the dry season (here, in Fortaleza). Photovoltaic energy has also been growing rapidly since 2017 and produced nearly 10% of the country's electricity in 2024.

Representatives from oil and gas companies attend an auction of oil blocks organized by Brazil's National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP).

5. Resumption of Oil Exploration in the Amazon

In 2025, Brazil resumed exploration of new oil reserves in the Amazon region, including reserves more than 500 km from the coast. Twenty years earlier, President Lula da Silva had already begun exploiting pre-salt deposits (deposits located under very thick layers of salt, deep beneath the sea). The photo shows an auction of oil lots in June 2025.

An employee operates a drone to monitor potential methane leaks on an FPSO in Brazil.

6. Brazil: Major Oil Producer and Exporter

Thanks to its offshore deposits, Brazil is now one of the world's top ten oil producers. A significant proportion is exported, particularly to China, via FPSOs—floating units that extract, process, and store hydrocarbons at sea. Here, employees of a TotalEnergies Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit use a drone to detect methane leaks in the Santos Basin, off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.

7. Nuclear Reactors in the Pipeline

Brazil, which has significant ore reserves, has been interested in nuclear power since 1959, when it built several research reactors. Two reactors (Angra I and II) were built in the late 1970s, halfway between Rio and Sao Paulo (photo). A third reactor is under construction at the same site, but it has sparked much controversy and is not expected to be operational before 2031.

8. The Difficult Redevelopment of Favelas

Large-scale construction projects are both an opportunity and a threat to what constitutes an unfortunate image of Brazil: the favelas. While they boost economic activity, they also cause the displacement of many poor people who are not always rehoused. Water and electricity supply and waste management remain very difficult in the favelas.

9. Sugar Cane, Brazil's Wealth

Brazil is the world's leading sugar producer. Sugarcane is also used to make biofuels and many molecules used in chemicals and cosmetics. Its fibrous residue, bagasse, is a widely used in the country (photo).

10. Towards Second-Generation Ethanol

In the 1970s, in the midst of the global oil crisis, Brazil launched a sugar industry dedicated to ethanol production. Since then, this sector has grown significantly and remains a pillar of the country's . In 2026, more than half of Brazil's vehicle fleet will continue to run on ethanol or flex-fuel. The country is accelerating its use of second-generation ethanol, obtained from non-food plant residues, in order to limit pressure on agricultural land. The Piracicaba plant, near São Paulo, is one of the sites involved in these innovations.

11. Deforestation in the Amazon Region Threatens the “Lungs of the Planet”

Due to the extent and density of its vegetation, the Amazon is what is known as a “carbon sink” that absorbs and stores it in its soils. However, agricultural practices and mining operations are contributing to deforestation. Until the 1990s, the Amazon rainforest absorbed up to 5% of global carbon dioxide emissions. But this absorption capacity has been greatly reduced to the point that some studies consider the Amazon to be becoming “neutral,” emitting as much CO2 as it captures.