en.Wedoany.com Reported - After completing its first round of investments, GNLink has prioritized entering the Southeast market and has outlined a series of subsequent development steps. The liquefied natural gas (LNG) distributor, a joint venture between the Lorinvest Group and Copa Energia, has far-reaching expansion plans beyond this.
Company CEO Marcelo Rodrigues stated that GNLink is committed to transporting natural gas inland from LNG terminals on Brazil's coast, while simultaneously pursuing internationalization plans in the Southern Cone (Cone Sul). Episode 25 of the Gas Week podcast also highlighted GNLink's goal to double its liquefaction capacity to 600,000 cubic meters per day by 2028.
Argentina is emerging as a competitive source of natural gas for southern Brazil or other Southern Cone countries, such as Uruguay. This would allow GNLink to free up capacity at its liquefaction plant in Barra Bonita, Paraná (PR), for other destinations, such as Paraguay. Rodrigues noted that the plant is located 250 kilometers from Paraguay, a country currently seeing significant investment and industrial relocation, and the company is closely monitoring this situation.
In Brazil, GNLink is also eyeing opportunities in capacity reserve auctions (LRCAP), whether to supply gas to small thermal power plants or to transport LNG imported from coastal regasification terminals inland through partnerships. To this end, the company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Oncorp to distribute LNG from the regasification terminal at Porto de Pecém (PE).
The focus for 2026 is on commercial efforts to increase the utilization rate of its three operating liquefaction plants. Located in the states of Paraná, Bahia, and Rio Grande do Norte, these plants have a combined capacity of 300,000 cubic meters per day, two-thirds of which is already under contract.
Other highlights from the interview: The company's growth drivers include demand from the industrial sector and virtual pipeline projects for piped gas concessionaires in various states. The use of natural gas in heavy transport is another market the company is monitoring. Regarding capital access, an IPO (Initial Public Offering) "at a certain moment" could make sense for shareholders, but there are no current plans. Bio-LNG (BioGNL) is a business of interest to GNLink, but such projects in Brazil still lack competitiveness. Subsidies for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) exacerbate a "somewhat unfair" competition with natural gas. Rodrigues advocates for price differentiation between bottled LPG for residential use and bulk LPG.
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