The head of Brazil’s state oil firm Petrobras said on Thursday it will sign a memorandum of understanding with mining giant Vale to study potential joint ventures in renewable energy, even as looks to new suppliers for diesel.
“Vale is a consumer (of energy) and probably very interested in hydrogen production, it has some activities in energy transition that are interesting,” Petrobras CEO Jean Paul Prates told reporters, saying the companies would look for synergies.
The partnership would come at a time when Petrobras is pushing to move into renewable energy. Earlier this month, the state-run firm unveiled plans to develop offshore wind farms.
Regarding diesel, Prates said Petrobras could if necessary and strategic import the fuel from abroad as bans on Russian imports – the main source of imported diesel in Brazil – could force the country to look for suppliers elsewhere.
Russia surpassed the United States as Brazil’s top supplier this year.
“We’re going to import to meet our contracts and possibly one or two more quotas that are necessary and that we see as an opportunity to enter a new market or a new customer that is good for us,” Prates said.
Meanwhile, spiking oil prices have widened the gap between Petrobras’ refinery prices and those charged abroad, which analysts say is discouraging third-party imports. Petrobras last adjusted its gasoline and diesel prices in mid-August.
“The models, for the time being, indicate it’s possible to maintain the same level with absolutely no risk to the company’s profitability,” said Prates. Petrobras’ refinery utilization factor is currently at a rate of 94%, he added.
(By Marta Nogueira; Editing by Steven Grattan and Sarah Morland)
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