"President Lula bet big on mega dams in the 2000s to expand clean energy. Now climate change is hurting Brazil's green ambitions"
"Santo Antônio is one of three mega dams located in the depths of Brazil's lush Amazon rainforest that were once hailed the future of the country's green energy production.
The "run-of-river" mega dams -- whose turbines are moved by natural river flows rather than water cascading from towering reservoirs -- were Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's bet on a green future when he was first in power in the 2000s.
Santo Antônio, Jirau and Belo Monte were built in the Amazon rainforest despite strong opposition from environmental groups and have become among the top five most powerful dams in the country. Belo Monte, which started operating in 2016, has the fourth-largest capacity in the world.
But the mega dams are running well below capacity as river levels shrink due to a record drought in the Amazon, highlighting how climate change is becoming a growing challenge to Brazil's green ambition."
Andre Cabette Fabio reports for Thomson Reuters Foundation September 26, 2024.
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