Hydroelectricity water footprint in Parana Hydrograph Region, Brazil

Abstract

Brazil depends on hydroelectricity. Recently, concerns related to the water consumption by the hydropower plants (HPs) are increasing, mainly because of the severe droughts that have affected Parana Hydrograph Region (PHR). PHR accounts for more than 60% of the hydroelectricity produced in the country, being one of the most important in the world. This study aimed to evaluate Gross and Net Water Footprints (GWF and NWF) in 67 HPs installed in PHR that are belong to the Brazilian interconnected power generation and transmission system (SIN), focusing on a regional analyzes approach. We could observe that HPs with reservoirs for streamflow regularization presented the highest values of WF. HPs with a lake at a constant level (run-of-river scheme) showed the lowest WF values. A significant relationship between GWF and NWF and flooded area/installed power ratio (A/P) could be assessed by analyzing the HPs individually as well as in the basins. On average, NWF corresponded to 44.6% of the GWF, being below the average that has been estimated around the world. GWF and NWF of the hydroelectricity in PHR between 2002 and 2016 were, respectively, 25 and 11 m3 GJ−1, both lower than values estimated for other plants and regions in the world.