BRASÍLIA: Brazil has decided to place thousands of floating solar panels on a reservoir that was created by one of the country’s most notorious dams. The renewable power project, which is located deep in the Amazon rainforest, could eventually generate enough electricity to power hundreds of thousands of homes. It’s technology could be replicated in other parts of the world with hydroelectric projects that are under-utilized.
“What happened here, was one of the worst environmental crimes that engineers committed in this country,” Brazil’s Energy Minister, Eduardo Braga, said during a visit to the reservoir and new solar power site. “How are we going to mitigate the cost of this crime? By improving the benefits of this dam.”
The Balbina Dam is located near the city of Manaus, in the middle of the Amazon. When the dam was built in the 1980s it flooded an area of pristine rainforest that is three times the size of New York City, forcing hundreds of indigenous people to leave their homes.
Despite having such a huge environmental impact, the hydroelectric plant currently produces just 50 megawatts of power, or about enough electricity to power 90,000 homes. Brazilian officials are hoping that their floating solar panels will boost the dam’s capabilities and help to provide enough electricity for half a million homes. The solar panels, the first ever to be floated on a hydroelectric reservoir, will use the dam’s current infrastructure to connect with Brazil’s national power grid.
