New Energy
Overflowing Hydro Dams Offer Brazil Relief in Sharp Turnaround
- Itaipu mega-dam to keep floodgates open until end of January
- Hydro generation will ease LNG demand in boon for Europe
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Brazil’s two biggest hydroelectric dams are so flush with water that they have opened floodgates in a reversal of fortunes that will curb natural gas demand in Latin America’s largest economy.
It’s a stark contrast from two years ago, when a historic drought forced Brazil to step up imports of liquefied natural gas to avert electricity rationing. The giant Itaipu mega-dam, the world’s third-largest, started releasing water on Jan. 14 and won’t stop until the end of the month. The Belo Monte dam, the world’s fifth-largest by installed capacity, is also so full it is releasing water.