The severe drought in the Amazon region is having a direct impact on power generation in Brazil.
The Madeira River, crucial for supplying the Santo Antônio and Jirau hydroelectric power plants, is showing historically low water levels.
Faced with this situation, the Electricity Sector Supervisory Committee (CMSE) is recommending a reduction in hydroelectric production in the north of the country.
This decision is not without consequences for the sector.
In response to the drop in hydroelectricity, Brazil is increasing its reliance on thermal power plants, despite higher production costs.
Electricity imports from Argentina and Uruguay are also being stepped up to compensate for the drop in domestic production.
This strategy is designed to avoid the risk of power cuts in a region that is key to the Brazilian economy.
Economic and strategic impact
Increased electricity generation from thermal sources means higher costs for producers and, potentially, for consumers.
The use of these more polluting energy sources also poses an additional challenge to Brazil ‘s decarbonization efforts . This situation is forcing companies in the sector to reassess their strategies, taking into account the new economic and environmental constraints.
Manufacturers are also being encouraged to modulate their energy consumption, by shifting their operations to periods of lower demand to alleviate pressure on the power grid.
This strategic shift is crucial to maintaining grid stability, but it could also have repercussions on the productivity of certain key sectors, particularly those dependent on a constant energy supply.
Environmental and social consequences
The reduction in hydropower has implications beyond the energy sector.
Local communities, particularly indigenous populations, are directly affected by the drying up of rivers.
Access to drinking water is becoming a growing problem, and economic activities based on river transport, such as soybean exports, are severely disrupted.
The increased risk of forest fires, exacerbated by drought, represents a further threat to an already fragile environment.
This crisis highlights the limits of Brazil’s current energy model, which is largely dependent on hydroelectricity.
The need to diversify the energy mix, by integrating more non-hydroelectric renewable energies such as solar and wind power, is becoming more pressing.
Investment in more resilient infrastructures, capable of adapting to climatic hazards, is also a priority to guarantee the country’s energy security.
