Drought Threats Alleviated in Brazil’s Reservoirs

Drought threats alleviated in Brazil’s reservoirs

RIO DE JANEIRO — The water level of reservoirs in the hydroelectric power plants in southeastern Brazil has increased, but the current situation remains "delicate",the National Electric System Operator (ONS) said on Monday.

The rain that fell in the region over the past weekend allowed the water level in the reservoirs to reach an average of 48.1 percent of their total capacity. Brazil’s biggest energy consumption was reported in southeast.

The ONS added the region’s reservoirs are below the recommendedsecurity mark designed to guard against the risk of a collapse, set at 50.8 percent of the total storage capacity.

However, the power plants have resumed the production of the programmed energy volumes: 4,718 megawatts (against 4,425 megawatts as programmed) in southeastern Brazil and 1,397 megawatts (against 1,255 megawatts as programmed) in northeastern Brazil.

The northeast experienced the most critical drought in the country, and the water level of the hydroelectric power plants’ reservoirs was once at 28.4 percent of their total capacity, but they have overcome the security mark for the region at this time of the year.

According to the ONS, in southern Brazil, the reservoirs’ waterlevel fell to 65.6 percent of their capacity, but it is still comfortably above the security mark.

The figures released by the operator indicated that chances of an energy collapse are becoming slimmer, as the rain volume startsto inch closer to its regular level.