Estudo sobre a implantação de Pequenas Centrais Hidrelétricas (PCHs) na faixa de fronteira ocidental paranaense

Abstract

This research addresses the environmental impacts resulting from the implementation of Small Hydro Power (SHP) in the occidental west border of Paraná. For the case study were selected as spatial area, the River Basin Piquiri and the Paraná Basin 3. These two basins were selected because of the plans for the construction of several SHPs in their covered area. SHPs are considered by energy planners linked to the public sector or private companies as alternative sources of electricity production from low impact to the environment. Nevertheless, if several of them are built in the same river or watershed there may be an impairment of the environment equivalent to the installation of a hydroelectric plant. To better understand the magnitude of this argument, the research focused on the study of examples of cumulative impacts resulting from the construction of several plants in the same basin, already observed in other Brazilian states. It is important to inform that, until the completion of this research was the cropping area of study only one SHP in operation - it is the SHP San Francisco, located on the border of the cities of Toledo and Ouro Verde do Oeste, in the western region of the state Paraná. In order to achieve the proposed objectives were analyzed issues related to SHP such as: laws of the electricity sector and environmental, policies of financial incentives to the sector, as well as programs and projects of incentives for generation of alternative energy in Brazil. Although not operate at wire of water, in other words , do not require large reservoirs, still does not have a effective billing by the environmental agencies of a global study of all the plants on the same river or watershed. The study provided a check on what stage are SHPs existing or planned for the covered area by the two watersheds selected , which resulted in the making of maps that help understanding the topic