Mitigation Analysis

Energy Sector

The energy sector is the most important source of greenhouse gases (GHG) at a global level. Emissions of these gases are mainly generated by the use of energy as fuel and by fugitive emissions from oil, gas and coal production.

In Venezuela, the energy sectorâs activities generate most of the GHG emissions. In 1990, the energy sector emitted 105,693 Gg of carbon dioxide and 1,942 Gg of methane, which represented 56% and 59% of the national emissions of these gases, respectively. The contribution of this sector to the total emissions of other GHG gases is also very important: carbon monoxide, 46%; nitrous oxide, 16%; nitrogen oxides, 86%; and NMVOCs, 100%. Table II-1 shows the emission estimates of greenhouse gases from the energy sector. Combustion is the main emission source of all gases except for methane, which is primarily originated by fugitive emissions from the oil and natural gas production systems.

The production of primary energy in Venezuela in 1990, was 6,828 Petajoules (Pj); 92.7% of this production corresponded to fossil fuel, mainly oil and natural gas , as shown in Figure II-1.

Almost 57% of oil production was exported and the rest was processed in national refineries, which produced 2,269 Pj of oil products. About 63% of these products was also exported. Internal consumption of oil products was nearly 700 Pj; of this amount, 12.7% was used for electricity generation and the rest was distributed among different consumption sectors, mainly the transportation sector.

The net production of natural gas was 1,264 Pj, which was used to obtain 938 Pj of dry gas and 173 Pj of liquid hydrocarbons while the rest was released into the atmosphere, during crude oil production operations. Dry gas was used to generate electricity (24%) and cover national consumption demand, mainly from the manufacture industry and the energy sector itself.

Coal production in Venezuela is irrelevant, in spite of a steady increase since 1988. In 1990, coal production reached 67 Pj, which was mainly exported (83.8%). Internal consumption was limited to some uses in the manufacture industry.

Venezuela has 18 GW of power generation capacity; 58% corresponds to hydroelectrical plants. In 1990, 59.3 TWh of electricity were produced, of which 22.3 TWh came from thermoelectrical plants, that required 319 Pj of fossil fuel. In 1990, final energy consumption, including consumption of the energy sector itself, was 1,365 Pj, distributed by type of energy and sectors as shown in Figures II-2 and II-3.



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