Petrobras and the steel producer group Gerdau signed, this Monday (11), contracts for the supply of natural gas on the free market, serving the special steel production unit in Rio Grande do Sul.
The agreement marks the first migration of a client from the captive industrial market to the free market in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Thus, the company becomes a pioneer in the change to this sales model in the state, whose rules were recently approved by the state regulatory agency and the government of Rio Grande do Sul.
“The expansion of the partnership between Petrobras and Gerdau in the free gas market demonstrates that Petrobras’ natural gas sales portfolio is, every day, more competitive and attractive. We are investing more than US$7 billion in new natural gas supply infrastructure, in addition to offering several flexible contract options, adapted to customer needs, with different term modalities and indexers, contributing to decarbonization and increasing the competitiveness of the industry national”, said the director of Energy Transition and Sustainability at Petrobras, Maurício Tolmasquim.
“Gerdau began more than 123 years ago in Rio Grande do Sul and has the state as one of its bases for long-term growth. This agreement strengthens the competitiveness of its operations. The new partnership with Petrobras represents a pioneering and innovative movement in the search for the development of the free natural gas market in Rio Grande do Sul, an input that we believe will be fundamental for the production and decarbonization of steel in the coming years”, informed the global director of Gerdau Energy and Supplies, Flávia Souza.
Petrobras, Gerdau and Sulgás consolidate their pioneering spirit in the free natural gas market, investing in the development of solutions to create a competitive, transparent, sustainable and increasingly advanced trading environment in the country.
“The free market is positive for all market agents. Consumers now have greater freedom of choice, suppliers operate in a more open and competitive market, and the distributor remains focused on expanding and operating the network with safety and excellence, connecting more consumers to the system. Sulgás’ purpose is to promote the development of Rio Grande do Sul. Supporting and integrating the free gas market is part of this journey”, said the executive director of Sulgás, Marcelo Leite.
