Committee approves connecting thermoelectric plants to guarantee energy in part of the North – 10/05/2023 – Market

The CMSE (Electricity Sector Monitoring Committee) decided that thermoelectric plants will come into operation in regions affected by drought in part of the North of the country. The objective is to prevent municipalities from experiencing blackouts.

The proposal was presented by the ONS (National Electric System Operator) to guarantee the security of energy supply in Acre and Rondônia.

The decision was taken this Wednesday (4), at a board meeting, and is related to the severity of the hydrological crisis in the region.

Regions of Acre, Amapá, Maranhão, Piauí, Bahia, Sergipe and, mainly, Amazonas and Pará, this year recorded the lowest rainfall in the period from July to September since 1980. The data are from Cemaden (Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters), linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations.

The drought has left riverside communities isolated by low river levels, causing the death of fish and dolphins and interrupting the production of hydroelectric energy. President Lula’s (PT) government predicts that up to 500,000 people will be affected by the climate phenomenon.

According to Minister Waldez Goes (National Integration), 55 cities have already declared an emergency and three more are in the process. The drought is expected to affect around 500,000 people.

At this Wednesday’s meeting, the ONS and Aneel (National Electric Energy Agency) committed to enabling the start of operations at the plants.

The National Secretariat for Energy Transition and Planning will coordinate studies to assess the resilience of the electrical system in the states of Acre, Amapá and Rondônia in the face of climate change. The objective is to maintain the capacity of electrical energy supply in future scenarios of water scarcity and extraordinary floods.

In the interior of Amazonas, where diesel generation predominates, the Ministry of Mines and Energy has been working since June to guarantee the supply of fuel to the cities.

Vice President Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) traveled with a delegation of ministers to Manaus this Wednesday to assess the damage caused by the drought and the demands of the municipalities.