The Brazil nut tree might tower over its neighbours, reaching heady heights of 160 feet with a majestic crown that spreads over 100 feet in diameter, but it is an extremely sensitive plant; it refuses to grow anywhere other than undisturbed areas of the Amazonian rainforest. Despite commercial efforts, Brazil nut trees cannot be cultivated in pure stands because they rely on a complex interaction of Amazonian species to bear fruit: they require large native bees that visit (particular) orchids to pollinate their flowers and their seeds are exclusively dispersed by a small tree rodent called an agoutis . The Brazil nut tree is perhaps symbolic of the amazingly delicate balance of the Amazonian rainforest and the crucial importance of protecting this unique environment.
The Amazonian rainforest is around two million square miles of some of the most intense ecosystems on the planet. It is estimated that ten percent of the world’s species call it home, including 40,000 species of plants, 1,300 species of birds, 3,000 fish, 430 mammals, and more than 2.5 million species of insect. Scientists are constantly discovering new species and learning their value—many medicines are derived from plants and animals found only in the Amazon. Beyond its unique and precious biodiversity, the Amazon also acts as the lungs of the planet. Its trees absorb the carbon dioxide we exhale and produce by burning fossil fuels, and they also create around six percent of the world’s oxygen. Without the Amazon rainforest, the planet might struggle to breathe.
But in the last fifty years around seventeen percent of the Amazon has been cleared for logging, mining, farming, and grazing—practises that are on the rise. This deforestation is a double blow: the forest is often cleared by fires releasing their carbon into the atmosphere while at the same time the loss of the trees reduces the planet’s ability to absorb the excess carbon we create. A recent report suggests the Amazon may now be producing more CO2 than it is absorbing. More than ever, there is an urgent need to reduce CO2 emissions, crucially by switching to more sustainable sources of energy such as solar, wind, geothermal, and hydro power. And the 4,000 miles of Amazon River, fed by the world’s highest rainfall, seems ideal for generating hydroelectricity.
Hydroelectric power converts water’s potential energy into kinetic energy by channeling it to push against the blades of a turbine, making them spin to generate electricity. Hydro is used more than any other form of renewable energy and features prominently in the clean energy plans of many countries. This is because beyond being clean, renewable, and sustainable, hydro is extremely efficient, with modern turbines capable of converting as much as 90% of flowing water’s energy into electricity. It is also reliable: with a good supply of water, electricity can be generated almost non-stop.
Hydroelectricity remains a hugely popular power source, generating around sixteen percent of the world’s electricity —and 71% of the world’s renewable energy. In Brazil, one of the biggest employers of hydro, it contributes 100,273 MW or 64 percent of Brazil’s total energy capacity and meets more than three-quarters of its electricity demand. There must be a delicate balance between meeting the energy needs of a nation and preserving the environment, and in the Amazon we must tread very lightly indeed.
This is what sustainable energy company Enel Green Power (EGP) has set out to do with its Apiacás hydropower park in Brazil. Beyond pioneering sustainable energy solutions, EGP is committed to building and running its plants with minimal social and environmental impact . Apiacás was built in line with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, including the installation of a standalone solar farm to provide power during construction, and the constant monitoring, mitigating, and offsetting of the carbon footprint.
After close consultation with local communities and extensive analysis of the area’s ecosystems, EGP constructed three run-of-river hydro plants. These rely on the river’s natural flow to turn the turbines and don’t require a reservoir, avoiding the environmental problems associated with damming the river. Apiacás generates nearly 500 GWh every year, enough to meet the needs of more than 200,000 Brazilian homes and to avoid the emission of around 280,000 tonnes of CO2. It’s a positive example of how energy and the environment can exist in harmony—even somewhere as sensitive and precious as the Amazon Rainforest.
