Brazilian oil and gas regulation agency (ANP) has allowed mining company Vale to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) to serve its own heating demand, according to Argus Media.

This is the first time Vale has requested this authorization. ANP authorized Vale to import as much as 1.66 million cubic meters of regasified fuel per day (mm m³/d) and to be supplied by any country, by sea.

Brazil, which relies on hydropower generation by 65%, has had a power outage issue due to a severe lack of rainfall. Combining that with Brazil opening its gas market, authorizations to import LNG from external sources could become the norm.

Brazil regasified an average of 17 mm m³/d of LNG from January to April in 2021, compared with an average of 8.28 mm m³/d and 8.38mn m³/d in 2019 and 2020, respectively.