Brazil's EPE Releases Integrated Environmental Evaluation of the Aripuanã River Basin, Shows 2.8-Gigawatt Hydro Potential

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources Latin America (Cordoba, Argentina)--Brazil's Empresa de Pesquisa Energética (EPE) (Brasilia, Brazil) recently released the complete results of the Integrated Environmental Evaluation (IEE) of the Aripuanã River basin, which suggested a hydro potential of about 2.8 gigawatts (GW).

According to EPE, an IEE of hydroelectric projects along a hydrographic evaluates the environmental situation that results from the installation of those projects and of the several dams related to them, taking into account their cumulative and synergic effects on the natural resources and human population, and the current and potential utilization of hydro resources in present and future planning scenarios.

The IEE studies were conducted by Themag Engenharia (São Paulo, Brazil) between 2006 and 2011, and concluded that the Aripuanã River Basin in central Brazil could harness up to 2,790.8 megawatts (MW) at a cost of about $61.40 per megawatt-hour, based on 2008 values. That potential is divided between eight sites, one of which is already operational, five on the Aripuanã River itself and the other three on a tributary, the Roosevelt River.

The sites selected along the Aripuanã River are Prainha (796.4 MW), Sumaúma (458.2 MW), Quebra Remo (267.8 MW), Dardanelos (261 MW, operational since last August), and Ilha 3 Quedas (115.5 MW). On the Roosevelt River, the IEE points out three sites of interest: Cachoeira Galinha (399.8 MW), Inferninho (361.1 MW), and Ilha São Pedro (131 MW).

Despite the opportunities these findings would imply in terms of power expansion for this region of Brazil and the fact that there is an important hydro power plant that has recently begun operations, the necessary environmental permitting process suggestsit will mean a great amount for effort for interested investors. This is because all sites selected will impact either natural conservation areas or Indian lands, if not both, though at a different extent and variety.

According to Brazilian rules, when a project like a hydropower generation plant affects or interferes with a natural conservation area or Indian land, environmental permitting must bring into the process relevant participants that otherwise would not be considered. For example, the legislative body that created the natural conservation area and the entity in charge of its administration, or the Native Indian communities living in the region and some representative organizations, like the National Indian Foundation.

All this makes the process of receiving the environmental permit a much lengthier and complicated process as many diverse and sometimes opposing interests, opinions and requirements need to be reconciled and fulfilled.

Now EPE will submit the IEE of the Aripuanã River basin for approval by the energy regulatory agency ANEEL. Once approval is given, interested investors will be allowed to request permission to conduct further design and engineering studies for any of the selected sites.

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