ENERGY - Odebrecht Informa

To run the equipment at its plants in
the Brazilian states of Alagoas, Bahia,
Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Rio
Grande do Sul, Braskem uses roughly
2% of all the power consumed in
Brazil. Compared to the consumption of the nation’s
industrial sector as a whole, that percentage
reaches nearly 5%. What’s more, when analyzing
the chemical industry, which includes Braskem,
the company’s demand exceeds 50% of the total,
demonstrating Braskem’s important role in the national
energy scene.
“The chemical and petrochemical industries are
key users of energy inputs, along with mining, steel
and glass producers,” explains electrical engineer
Gustavo Checcucci, the officer Responsible for
Electricity Management at Braskem.
Using a wide range of technologies and processes,
the company’s 28 plants in Brazil consume
energy from numerous sources. Braskem’s energy
mix includes natural gas, fuel oil, coal, electricity
and residual fuels (oil and gas generated by industrial
processes at the plants).
The company has a specific body that manages
all these inputs: the Energy Directorate, including
three managers, one dedicated to the regulation
and sale of electricity, another focused on fuels and
energy efficiency, and the third responsible for the
self-production program.
Gustavo Checcucci, in front, with members of
his team (Mauro Koiti Kumahara, Lucas Garcia
Nishioka, Fabio Yanaguita and Kelly Sayuri
Yamaki): responsible for managing the energy
Braskem uses. Below, transporting coal in
Triunfo: a diversified mix
used every month and the user receives an invoice
at the end of each period.
As with any other type of trade, free market prices
fluctuate according to supply and demand. During
the rainy season, for example, water reservoirs
Monitoring performance
The management of electricity use at Braskem
is consolidated on the 25th floor of the building
where the company has its headquarters in São
Paulo. Linked to the company’s plants through a
network, it is the home base of the Energy Operations
area, where three engineers led by Gustavo
Checcucci are hard at work. By scrutinizing TV and
computer screens, they keep track of the real-time
consumption and supply needs of each of the company’s
factories to ensure that they get the best
possible service.
Their team is also responsible for purchasing energy
on the open market, an alternative to the “captive
market” (Regulated Environment), to which the
vast majority of consumers are accustomed. This
way, the supplier measures the amount of energy
Photo: Mathias Kramer
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