How green can Amazon hydropower be? Net carbon emission from the largest hydropower plant in Amazonia.

Autor: Bertassoli DJ Jr; Institute of Geosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. dailson.bertassoli@usp.br., Sawakuchi HO; Department of Thematic Studies - Environmental Change, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden., de Araújo KR; Faculty of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Altamira, PA, Brazil., de Camargo MGP; Institute of Geosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil., Alem VAT; Institute of Geosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil., Pereira TS; Faculty of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Altamira, PA, Brazil., Krusche AV; Center of Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil., Bastviken D; Department of Thematic Studies - Environmental Change, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden., Richey JE; Center of Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.; School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA., Sawakuchi AO; Institute of Geosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Science advances [Sci Adv] 2021 Jun 25; Vol. 7 (26). Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Jun 25 (Print Publication: 2021).
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe1470
Abstrakt: The current resurgence of hydropower expansion toward tropical areas has been largely based on run-of-the-river (ROR) dams, which are claimed to have lower environmental impacts due to their smaller reservoirs. The Belo Monte dam was built in Eastern Amazonia and holds the largest installed capacity among ROR power plants worldwide. Here, we show that postdamming greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Belo Monte area are up to three times higher than preimpoundment fluxes and equivalent to about 15 to 55 kg CO 2 eq MWh -1 Since per-area emissions in Amazonian reservoirs are significantly higher than global averages, reducing flooded areas and prioritizing the power density of hydropower plants seem to effectively reduce their carbon footprints. Nevertheless, total GHG emissions are substantial even from this leading-edge ROR power plant. This argues in favor of avoiding hydropower expansion in Amazonia regardless of the reservoir type.
(Copyright © 2021 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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