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The future with hydraulic energy
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Hydraulic energy accounts for 19% of the
A renewable, storable energy
Man has been exploiting hydraulic energy for a very long time. In yesteryears, it was used to mow grain through watermills. Today, it is used via hydroelectric power plants to produce electricity.
Hydraulic energy has a major advantage: It can be stored, thanks to dams, and be mobilized within a few minutes in the event of consumption peaks. It is also a competitive energy, because of the long lifespan and low cost of hydroelectric power plants.
Over the last decade, hydraulic activity increased 1.5% worldwide. Hydroelectricity now accounts for nearly 90% of global electricity production from a renewable source. In some sixty countries, such as Brazil and China, hydroelectricity accounts for more than half of the total electricity production.
GDF SUEZ, a key hydroelectric player in Brazil
With almost 1,700 employees, GDF SUEZ is a key hydroelectric player in Brazil. The Group has been operating in the country for almost 50 years and is now the leading private electricity producer, operating 21 power stations of which 13 are hydroelectric. These large-scale projects are always accompanied by measures taken in close collaboration with local non-profit organizations and groups to further sustainable development aims.
| São Salvador dam in Brazil, a hydraulic giant | |
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| Jirau dam, responding to Brazil’s growing energy needs | |
| GDF SUEZ is currently building the largest dam in the country, the Jirau hydroelectric power plant, part of the Brazilian federal government’s large-scale infrastructure initiative launched in 2006 called the Program to Accelerate Growth (P.A.C.). The dam, integrated into the Madeira River complex, is due to begin operations within three years. In May 2008, the Energia Sustentavel do Brasil consortium led by GDF SUEZ won the 35 year concession to build, own and operate the dam. The BNDES, Brazil’s Development Bank and a pool of Brazilian banks are financing 68.5% of the total investment costs of the €3.3 billion project, the largest loan ever granted by the BNDES. Construction began in December 2008 on the Rio Madeira in the State of Rondônia (north of the country). The power plant comprises a reservoir of 258 square kilometres (km2) of which 135 km2 represent the original riverbed. The architecture of the dam, designed in association with the engineering firm Leme Engenharia, is designed to mitigate the environmental impact of the project. The Brazilian environmental agency Ibama officially gave its green light last June for construction of this giant hydroelectric plant. This run of river dam with a limited size reservoir given its capacity of 4,500 megawatts (MW), will help to meet the country’s growing energy requirements while ensuring energy supply security. | |
GDF SUEZ, a global hydraulic energy specialist
GDF SUEZ and its specialized subsidiaries (CNR, Tractebel Energia and others) are active across the world to develop and operate a variety of hydroelectric facilities: dams with or without reservoirs and micro-power plants.
The Group relies on Coyne et Bellier, a subsidiary of Tractebel Engineering specialized in the construction of dams and known worldwide for its studies on the socio-economic and environmental impact of hydraulic facilities. This company has already studied over
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