Abegás presents strategic guidelines for presidential candidates, focusing on the expansion of natural gas supply, the development of the Equatorial Margin, and the modernization of Brazil’s energy infrastructure for the next 20 years.
The Brazilian Association of Piped Gas Distribution Companies (Abegás) has released a technical report containing public policy proposals for candidates running for the Presidency of the Republic. The main objective is to transform the gas market landscape, ensuring greater competitiveness and the effective utilization of national resources.
According to Marcelo Mendonça, the entity’s executive director, the sector’s planning must transcend four-year terms, establishing a long-term vision for the next two decades.
Although Brazil reached significant records in natural gas production in 2025, the association warns of a critical bottleneck: only one-third of the total extracted volume effectively reaches the final consumer.
This imbalance highlights the urgent need for new investments in energy infrastructure, including transport pipelines, processing units, and the expansion of the distribution network across the country.
The strategic role of the Equatorial Margin
Exploration of the Equatorial Margin is identified as the new frontier capable of boosting the sector. According to Abegás, the development of this area requires the government to begin logistical planning now to integrate this future supply into the national grid.
The entity advocates for mandating the construction of transport infrastructure during the initial phase of new platforms, ensuring that gas reaches demand centers in the Southeast and other regions of the country.
“When we think about natural gas, as it is a structural investment, it is a long-term mindset. I have to think about the next four years, but this term must also build the agenda for the next twenty,”
noted Marcelo Mendonça.
Proposals to foster competition and efficient use
In addition to physical expansion, the document suggests regulatory changes to unlock the market. Among the measures are strengthening third-party access to existing pipelines and the implementation of gas release, a mechanism aimed at reducing market dominance by large players and stimulating a decrease in input prices for the industrial sector.
The entity also proposes strict technical criteria to limit gas reinjection, a practice that currently consumes more than half of daily production.
To increase energy security and boost new business, Abegás suggests integrating natural gas with the operation of data centers and the structural dispatch of thermoelectric plants.
These actions, according to the sector, are expected to create a positive ripple effect, generating jobs and increasing tax revenue for both the Federal Government and the States.
