Latin America. Countries in the region are tightening control over their energy and fuel reserves.The most recent examples come from Brazil, which follows in Argentina's footsteps in importing liquefied natural gas to meet the high demand for energy – more than 50 million m3 per day in 2007.
According to a report by América Economía, Brazil is determined to play a leading role in the global energy scenario, directing multimillion-dollar efforts and resources to three fronts: oil, biofuels and nuclear energy.
President Lula announced to the media his intention to join the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and work to "reduce oil prices." The country already has the resources to do so, with the announcement of deposits that would make it the third country with the largest reserves in the world. Meanwhile, the biofuels project, from sugarcane, aims to find a renewable source of fuel, as does the plan to build thermonuclear plants and enrich uranium. The government is considering building about four nuclear power plants with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW) each, which would gradually come into operation until 2030.
The sustainable production of biofuels is also a project of Mexico, with the recent announcement of the intention to produce bioethanol to begin using it between 2010 and 2011, as a replacement for the oxygenant MTB in gasoline. The sources of production will be products such as cassava, sorghum or jatropha, which will be grown on land that is currently idle, so as not to jeopardize the country's food security.
For its part, in Cuba a biogas plant is being prepared to take advantage of converting 15 to 20 tons of organic waste per day into 30 to 40 m3 of methane gas per ton, equivalent to 60 or 70 kW / hour. And Bolivia wants to have control of oil and gas with the seizure of a 51% stake in the companies that exploit the resource.
President Morales announced an increase in investments, to $1.2 billion this year, after a drop to $149 million in 2007, the lowest since 1996. The country has the most important natural gas reserves in the region, after Venezuela.
