Brazilian environmental authorities this month granted a key permit for construction on the Amazon region’s Xingu River of what would be the third largest hydroelectric station in the world. Called Belo Monte, the US$10-13 billion, 11,233-megawatt facility in the eastern-Amazon state of Pará received a preliminary license from Ibama, the permitting arm of Brazil’s Environment Ministry. Once completed in 2015, the hydropower complex will rank third in installed capacity behind China’s 22,000-megawatt Three Gorges Dam and Brazil’s 14,600-megawatt Itaipú Dam, according to the Brazilian Mines and Energy Ministry. The Ibama decision paves the way for an April auction of the concession to build and operate the facility, according to the ministry. Critics of the project acknowledge that approval of the... [Log in to read more]
