How green can Amazon hydropower be?: Net carbon emission from the largest hydropower plant in Amazonia
Autor: | Jeffrey E. Richey, Alex V. Krusche, M. G. P. Camargo, Victor A. T. Alem, D. J. Bertassoli, David Bastviken, André Oliveira Sawakuchi, Kleiton R. de Araujo, Henrique O. Sawakuchi, Tatiana da Silva Pereira |
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Rok vydání: | 2021 |
Předmět: |
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Power station Amazonian Environmental Studies chemistry.chemical_element 010501 environmental sciences 01 natural sciences 7. Clean energy Reservoir type USINAS HIDRELÉTRICAS Astronomi astrofysik och kosmologi Environmental protection Astronomy Astrophysics and Cosmology Applied Ecology Research Articles Hydropower 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Multidisciplinary business.industry Amazon rainforest SciAdv r-articles Nameplate capacity chemistry 13. Climate action Greenhouse gas Environmental science CARBONO business Carbon Research Article |
Zdroj: | Repositório Institucional da USP (Biblioteca Digital da Produção Intelectual) Universidade de São Paulo (USP) instacron:USP Science Advances |
Popis: | GHG emissions from the Belo Monte reservoirs in Brazilian Amazon are up to three times higher than preimpoundment fluxes. 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 CO2eq 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. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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