WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

2.3.3 Brazil
Geraldo Lúcio Tiago Filho, Camila Galhardo and
Luciano Silva, National Reference Centre for Small
Hydropower Plants (CERPCH), Brazil
Key facts
Population 199,321,413 1
Area 8,515,692 km 2
Climate Mostly tropical but temperate in south 1
Topography Mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north;
some plains, hills, mountains, and
narrow coastal belt (highest point: Pico
da Neblina, 2,994 m) 1
Rain pattern Northwest (Amazon basin): uniform
rainfall, up to 3,000 mm/year. Central
interior: rainy season December to
February. Northeast: 500 -1,150 mm/
year depending on the zone. Narrow
coastal belt: South: uniform rainfall,
1,250-2,000 mm/year. Southeast and
West-Centre: 1,500-2,000 mm/year. 2
Electricity sector overview
Approximately 9.7 million Brazilians do not have
access to electricity, despite the relatively high
electrification rate of 95 per cent. The Luz Para Todos
Program aims to use small photovoltaic systems and
micro hydro facilities to overcome the deficiency in
electrification. 3 It benefits approximately 1.24 million
people through 247,862 connections. 4
As of 2011, Brazil had an installed power generating
capacity of 117,134 MW. 4 Hydropower is the most
important electricity generation technology in Brazil,
as can be seen in Figure 2 below. Furthermore, Brazil
was the world’s second largest hydropower producer
in 2009 (391 TWh) and the world’s third largest in
terms of installed hydropower capacity in 2008 with
78 GW. 5
Wind 0.4%
Coal 1.0%
Nuclear 2.8%
Oil and 3.0%
Biomass 6.0%
Natural 6.0%
Hydro
80.0%
0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%
Figure 1 Electricity generation in Brazil
Source: Empresa de Pesquisa Energética, Ministerio de
Minas e Energia 6
The Brazilian hydropower sector has acquired
significant experience and knowledge in the design,
construction and assembly of electromechanical
generation equipment. Today, the country masters the
technology of implementing hydropower ventures,
whether it is large or small-scale.
Small hydropower sector overview and potential
In Brazil small hydropower plants are defined as
hydropower developments with power above 1 MW
and below 30 MW, and with a maximum flooded area
of 3 km², as per Law No.9648/98. 7 On 9 December
2003, with Resolution No.652, the flooded area was
authorized to reach 13 km², provided it met the
equation A≥(14,3×P)/Hb, where P is the power of the
venture, given in Megawatts (MW) and Hb is the
venture’s available gross head, given in metres; or
when the reservoir has been designed based on other
uses which are not for power generation. 8
Hydroelectric ventures with power below 1 MW are
classified as Hydroelectric Generation Plants (CGH)
and receive different treatment from the National
Agency of Electric Energy (ANEEL) on registration
procedures. According to data from ANEEL on 31
December 2011, Brazil had 373 plants operating with a
power of up to 1 MW, totaling 217 MW, and 423
plants with a power of 1 to 30 MW, corresponding to
3,889 MW. Of these ventures, the majority of the
concessions are generally granted for private capital.
Brazil still has a small hydropower potential of 22,500
MW (figure 2). 9
Among the latest small hydropower research
programmes in Brazil in the last five years, the
following stand out: improving the quality of hydraulic
turbines through numeric computational systems for
designing the flow in turbines; distribution of losses in
electric generators; use of automated operation
systems and supervision of generator groups; use of
group generators with variable rotation; studies on the
interaction of fish-friendly hydraulic turbines; research
on the behavior of Brazilian fish for preservation
purposes; restocking of fish into the river; the
development of procedures for designing suitable
transposition mechanisms for tropical and temperate
climate fish. There are also studies on movable dams,
equipment and devices for low and very low heads,
hydrokinetic turbines, system supervision by telemetry
and the use of asynchronous generators
interconnected to the grid.
Brazil has a highly developed value chain for small
hydropower, not only with a turbine manufacturing
sector, but offering other small hydropower services in
civil works/building, engineering, operations and
maintenance. 3
In Brazil, the investments in small hydropower projects
are made through bank loans, mainly from the
National Bank of Social Development (BNDES), which
offers lines of credit with a grace period of up to six
months after the project enters commercial operation,
an amortization period of up to 12 years and a
constant amortization system.
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