Natural gas consumption reaches record in the commercial segment in February in AM

Manaus (AM) — Demand from commercial enterprises for natural gas (NG) reached a monthly record in February. During the month, daily consumption recorded by users in this segment reached 7 thousand cubic meters (m³). The data are from the Amazonas Gas Company (Cigás).

In the second month of the year, average fuel consumption was 37% higher compared to February 2023. The Company attributes this variation to the advancement of the extension of the piped gas network by 42 kilometers, last year alone, which led to the increase of the number of users in this segment in the period, going from 213 to 254 consumer units (CUs).

This growth in the number of consumers who benefit from the efficiency of this energy source is driven by the savings provided by the fuel.

Survey based on research by the National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), from March this year, indicates that the savings for NG users in the commercial segment are around 50% when compared to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). ). This data is reinforced by a recent analysis carried out by the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan), indicating that Amazonas has the lowest natural gas tariff in the country in the industrial and commercial segments.

Supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, laundries, gyms, the main shopping malls in Manaus and the Delphina Aziz Hospital and Emergency Room are among the users of natural gas in this segment. In these projects, the fuel is used, for example, to heat ovens and stoves for preparing food, to air-condition environments and in drying machines and ironing machines for bed, table and bath linen. Therefore, this application variation also reinforces the wave of growth in natural gas consumption by commercial enterprises, with a high level of approval.

According to businessman Jander Rozendo, owner of the Lavadeira laundry, where the fuel is used to heat the dryer and the calender (machine used to iron fabrics), natural gas is advantageous.

“The savings are fundamental, 50%, 60% per month. Today, if we were to do a scale from 0 to 10, we are on a scale of 10 (of satisfaction)”,

highlights.

The CEO of Cigás, Heraldo Câmara, states that the company has increased investments in the piped natural gas network, providing the necessary infrastructure conditions to increase demand for the fuel in the various segments, with emphasis on the commercial sector that reached this record and where today we have enterprises from different branches of activity.

According to him, natural gas makes a difference in the daily lives of entrepreneurs by providing cost reduction and, therefore, contributing to the expansion of these projects that are so relevant to our economy.

Other segments

Another segment that stood out was residential. An average of 4,600 cubic meters of natural gas were sold per day, compared to 2,400 in the same month of 2023, an increase of 90%. Residential users reach 17,965, these being in housing complexes.

In the case of industrial, the volume demanded was 180 thousand m³/d (on average), a variation of 3% compared to February of the previous year. This segment has 72 industries in the Manaus Industrial Pole (PIM) in subsectors, such as electronics, two wheels, paper and cardboard and chemicals. The thermoelectric, vehicle and self-generation/liquefaction segments recorded an average consumption of 4.3 million m³/d; 23.6 thousand m³/633.3 thousand m³/d, respectively.

Benefits of using natural gas

The use of natural gas provides a series of benefits to users. Economy compared to other fuels is one of them. In addition, there is continuous supply through an underground gas pipeline network, greater security and post-consumption payment.

Another benefit is environmental. Joining the NG, in Manaus, represented a 73% reduction in pollution caused by the burning of liquid fuels and a 55% reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases (methane and carbon dioxide). This data was confirmed through research produced a few years ago by Green Ocean Amazon.

It should also be noted that the natural gas chain has been a driving force for the socioeconomic development of Amazonas through the collection of state taxes. This resource can be used in priority areas, such as Education, Health and Safety.

Technical visit

Cigás has a specialized team to carry out technical visits with the aim of clarifying the qualities and benefits of natural gas, as well as carrying out data collection, evaluating infrastructure and presenting solutions suited to the specific needs of each applicant. Contact at (92) 98434-5286 (messaging app).

*With information from consultancy

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