The complex will be built near the island of Madeira, in Cipetipa
complex design Thermal power plant in Sibitiba Bay
It sparked criticism and concern among ecologists and fishermen because the first phase of work license was granted even without an Environmental Impact Study and Environmental Impact Report (EIA-Rima). The situation violates legal obligations and even the understanding of the technical staff of Inea, responsible for the mandate, who, during the analysis process, rated the project as “high impact” and “high contamination potential”. This means, among other factors, that it could affect marine life, such as the endangered dolphin species in Guyana, and mangroves that would be suppressed.
The complex will supply power to the Chamber of Electricity Commerce (CCEE), as a result of the emergency federal auction, which Aneel promoted in October last year, as a result of the Brazilian water crisis, and could generate about R$3 billion annually for power purchases.
Rejected in South Africa due to environmental problems
Founded in 2010 in Turkey, Kapowership operates mainly in Asia and Africa, in countries such as Iraq, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Indonesia, Lebanon and Mozambique. In the Americas, it is only found in Cuba. Its operation consists in the production of energy through the station’s gas-powered vessels, which are connected by transmission lines, in this case, to the integrated national system. Last year, Kapoership won a similar auction in South Africa, but its project was specifically rejected due to environmental requirements.
According to the project submitted to Sepetiba Bay, Kapowerhip will install four ships of this type near the island of Madeira, in Itaboraí, as well as 14.7 kilometers of transmission lines and 36 towers, 7 of which are in the water surface. The plant will have a production capacity of 560 MW, and the contract provides for a 44-month supply of energy, which can bring annual revenues of up to 3 billion R$ for the company.
Since it is a federal contract, Ibama was originally supposed to license the project. However, on February 22, an IBAMA delegation was posted so that Inea could implement the appropriate environmental license. On the eighth day, just two weeks after the agreement, Kapowership was awarded the Environmental License Integrated (LAI) to build transmission lines and towers. Now all that remains is to license the ships of the power stations, as the company has decided to split the licensing process.
The agility and simplification of licensing captured the attention of specialists and even technicians from Inea. Since it is a large corporation, the right thing to do is to request an EIA-RIMA, including for legal reasons. According to state legislation, any plant generating power over 10 MW must already offer EIA-Rima. The same commitment is contained in Resolution 1/86 of the National Council for the Environment (Konama). Furthermore, the Atlantic Forestry Code, also federal, cites the requirements for the suppression of Restinga, Atlantic forests or mangrove areas, which would be the case for this project.
‘Environmental disaster’
However, the project – which was identified as “strategic” by Governor Claudio Castro, at the end of December, which guarantees flexibility in its handling, despite a 2019 state decree specifying that only projects with a “positive environmental impact” can be classified as It is strategic – licensed without EIA requirements – RIMA. For Inea, the company claimed that, because it is a new technology, there is no specific legislation or licensing tradition for this type of operation.
“It’s an ecological disaster. There are many factors that would justify, at least, a very in-depth study,” says Leonardo Flach, head of the Boto Senza Institute, which monitors the ecological status of this ecosystem. The plant will alter the waters, greatly affecting marine life, and may affect the fish that spawn nearby, which are the livelihood of fishermen, such as seabass and mullet, as well as the mangrove swamp funnel. Gray porpoises, for example, which are an endangered species, depend on well-balanced animals to survive, so they will also be affected.
A letter signed by Flach was issued with biologist Mario Soares of the Mangrove Studies Core of the School of Oceanography in Uerj and the Alliance for Science and Society to denounce what they called “cattle passing through Rio de Janeiro.” The specialists note that the “sad reality of Guanabara Bay did not serve as an example” for the authorities, and they highlight the ecological and social significance of Sepeteba Bay.
Technical panel admits ‘significant impact’
Understanding the environmental impact is not only shared by professionals, but also by Inea’s technical staff. On February 10, an opinion from the institute attached to the operation stated that “the project in question is classified under code 28.06.09 – CE032 (Operation of Thermal Power Plant for Electricity Generation), with high pollution potential and exceptional scale, classified, therefore, in Class 6C – Significant Impact.” Category 6c is precisely the highest category in Inea’s environmental impact table.
On the other hand, Inea awarded itself LAI, on March 8, even without the need for in-depth studies. In the documentation, which O GLOBO had access to, the only environmental data sent by Kapowership contained a summary document, contracted with consultancy PH Mar, expressing the presence of Guyana dolphins in Sepetiba Bay, and information about concern about sound noise due to The project.
“One of the areas of great concern is the animals, in particular the Guyanese dolphin, which has been listed by the Ministry of the Environment as a threatened and endangered species in the Brazilian Fauna List of Endangered Species (MMA Decree No. 500 of 10/09/2019). Ideal for the survival of this species, it comprises the largest number ever recorded throughout its distribution, estimated at around 1,000 individuals,” the document states.
At LAI, Inea has attached some provisions regarding animal management, but it deals with measures that contractors must take if animals die on the job, and a diagnosis of the current situation is not required. For plants, the work should cause the suppression of about 7 hectares of vegetation, so the need to replace 15 hectares of forest and eight hectares of mangroves was calculated.
Since, at the moment, the Kapoweship has only obtained a license for transmission lines, and only towers are allowed to be built. The operation of the ships is still dependent on another license. But, according to the contract, the company needs to start providing power to the federal government from May 1, technicians at Inea deplore that the process is in progress, and fear that the new license will also be granted without the need for EIA-RIMA.
The chair of the Allerge Environment Committee, State Deputy Gustavo Schmidt “stresses the importance of the project for the state of Rio, and says the committee is working to ensure that everything is done with maximum transparency and respect for environmental legislation.” In December last year, he sent letters to Inea, IBAMA, MPF, Seas and PGJRJ requesting EIA-Rima’s request, as well as requesting a public hearing.
At the time, Inea responded that it had not yet analyzed the project because the issue was in the purview of Ibama. On the other hand, the federal authority acknowledged federal jurisdiction in licensing but said it would still delegate to Inea, which was completed in February.
When contacted, Anil replied that he “receives, on a monthly basis, information on all aspects related to the implementation of the work, including the stage of environmental licensing”, but replied that these questions must be answered by Enya and Ibama.
The agency stated that the issued license is still subject to the issuance of a “vegetation suppression permit”, which is still under analysis by the agency, and that the work “has been declared as a public facility, for the purpose of interfering with vegetation.”
Suit, informed Karpowership that it “meets the most stringent Brazilian and international environmental requirements”, and that its operations are certified by international entities. According to the company, the ships are designed to “completely reduce environmental impact” and that the complex in Cipetipa Bay “has a much lower environmental impact than building and operating a thermal power plant on land – a conventional alternative well-known in Brazil”, and that it will produce enough energy to power 3 million homes.
Regarding the licensing process, Karpowership stated that it “complies with all procedures requested by the authorities at the national and local levels”, and that it “prepares and submits all the necessary studies requested by the Environment Agency.”
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