Context
In 2014, the Brazilian water and sanitation utilities spent EUR 1 billion on electricity, consuming some 12.74 terawatt-hours (TWh). This matches the annual domestic consumption of 22 million Brazilians. According to the Brazilian National Information System on Sanitation (SNIS), which collects and processes all such data, the electricity consumption is on an upward trend.
The sector faces the challenge of providing more and better water and sanitation services to Brazil’s rapidly growing population, while introducing efficiency measures that stabilise energy consumption. The National Plan for Basic Sanitation sets a target of reducing the National Index for Water Losses to 31 per cent by 2033, from the current 37 per cent. To help achieve the goals of the National Plan, the Federal Government recently increased its budget allocation for sanitation.
Water losses in the distribution networks and the electrical and mechanical inefficiency of pumps and motors are the two main sources of inefficiency – and as such also potential areas for saving energy. The National Plan for Energy Efficiency estimates that the energy consumption could be reduced by up to 4.70 TWh annually, which is equivalent to the domestic consumption of eight million people.
Objective
The conditions have been improved to encourage greater energy efficiency in the urban water supply system. Electricity costs, energy consumption and water losses on the part of the operators have been reduced accordingly, with a concomitant lowering of the greenhouse gas emissions.
Approach
GIZ is implementing the project on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and together with the National Secretariat of Environmental Sanitation in the Ministry of Cities.
The project supports the integration of energy efficiency as an aspect of financial instruments for the planning of new facilities, or the modernisation of existing ones. It also promotes a dialogue across the water and energy sectors, This enables key actors, such as government authorities, private sector representatives and countrywide energy efficiency programmes, to coordinate their initiatives to raise energy efficiency.
The project offers training measures and advice to improve the availability of information on energy efficiency in the water supply and enhance the work of technicians and managers in the water sector.