In an effort to streamline the permitting process, ANEEL (Agencia Nacional de Energia Eletrica) has published new rules governing operators of small hydropower plants in Brazil.
According to BNamericas, the resolution includes a requirement for developers to complete “generation adequacy studies” prior to the environmental licensing process.
Normative Resolution No. 765/2017 defines the procedures for issuing the grants for implementation and operation of these enterprises, ANEEL says. The changes affect developers of hydro plants with capacities of 5 MW to 50 MW.
Official figures show 203 MW of small hydro capacity was brought on line in Brazil in 2016. Small hydro makes up about 3% of the country’s generation mix, totaling 4.989 GW of capacity from 426 plants.
Hydropower of all sizes makes up more than 80% of the Brazilian energy matrix as of March 2017.
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