Flooding in Southern Brazil Slams Operations at Power Plants, Terminals

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Massive flooding in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state has impacted a number of industrial operations. Since late April, heavy rains and storms have caused severe flooding in the state, leaving at least 90 people dead and an estimated 150,000 homeless, according to news accounts. The flooding is considered the worst in the region in 80 years.

Industrial Info is monitoring the operational status of plants and facilities in Rio Grande do Sul:

• Unibraspe was forced to cease operations at its 246,200-barrel (BBL) Esteio Refined Products Terminal. Unibraspe has not determined when the terminal will return to operation.
• Petrobras ceased operations at its 151,000-BBL Esteio Refined Products Terminal. Petrobras has not said when the terminal will return to operation.
• Specialty Minerals do Brazil shut down its precipitated calcium carbonate-PPC plant in Guaiba on May 1. The plant is expected to restart on May 13.
• Gerdau suspended operations at its Sapucaia do Sul (Riograndense) Steel Mill and Charqueadas Piratini Steel Mill. It is expected the steel mills will resume operations by the end of the week.
• The 104-megawatt (MW) Hydro Power Plant UHE 14 de Julho was offline, with half of its dam damaged by the flooding.
• The 134-MW UHE Monte Claro and 133.74-MW UHE Castro Alves hydropower plants also were offline.

Industrial Info will continue to track the status the status of these facilities and others as the situation progresses.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).