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Main Goals
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To
determine the emissions of greenhouse gases: carbon
dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), from the reservoirs managed by FURNAS Centrais Elétricas
S.A.;
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To identify
the pathways of the carbon cycle in these reservoirs, as
well as the environmental factors involved in it;
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To evaluate
the influence of morphological, morphometric,
biogeochemical and operational variables on the
greenhouse gas emissions;
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To
establish the previous pattern of greenhouse gas
emission, prior to the flooding of the reservoirs;
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To develop
a spatial and temporal model of the greenhouse gas
emissions in reservoirs that flood Cerrado environments.
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Introduction
The increase in
greenhouse gas emissions, due to human activities, may result in drastic
environmental consequences, both in a regional and in a global scale,
and it will probably affect more severely the developing countries,
found in low latitudes, than the countries of the Northern Hemisphere.
When Brazil ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change, it made a commitment to develop and maintain updated information
about its emission sources, as well as about the sinks of the main
greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. The
understanding of these sources and sinks is the first step in the quest
for restoration measures.
Since the last decade, the scientific community has questioned whether
large reservoirs destined to hydroelectric power generation make large
contributions towards the increase of the greenhouse effect. For this
reason, detailed research on this area is required. Also, it is
important for the national electric power industry to verify the
available options for a reduction of greenhouse gas emission per unit of
energy, so that it may qualify for the world market of Certified Emission Reductions (CERs).
This project is the first effort towards the appraisal of the carbon
balance of FURNAS CENTRAIS ELÉTRICAS S.A., in which the emissions from
hydroelectric reservoirs may be compared to the emissions from
thermoelectric power generation, and then contrasted with the carbon
fixated by the reforestation projects under the Company’s auspices.
This Project was developed under the rules of law 9.991/2000, which
establishes a minimum annual investment of 1% of the net annual revenue
of the companies that generate electric power in research and
development.
The procedures for the projects are determined by the
National Agency
of Electric Power (ANEEL).
Manager of the Project: André Carlos
Prates Cimbleris
Phone: (55-21)2528-5436
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Partners
FURNAS Centrais Elétricas S.A.
Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora
UFRJ -
Programas de Pós-graduação de Engenharia
Instituto Nacional de
Pesquisas Espaciais
Instituto
Internacional de Ecologia e Gerenciamento Ambiental
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Overview