Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) — Development of three small
hydropower plants in Brazil was suspended because of potential
damage to archaeological sites and indigenous lands in the
country’s midwest.
The regional environmental regulator froze the licensing
process for Sigma Energia SA’s proposed Foz do Saiju, Barra do
Jaguari and Bela Vista hydropower plants in Mato Grosso do Sul
state, according to a statement today on the public prosecutor’s
website.
The process may be restarted after the company conducts
impact studies and submits plans to compensate for potential
damage to the local area, which include five indigenous
reservations.
The Foz do Saiju plant would have 20 megawatts of capacity
and will cost 80 million reais ($33 million). The 118.8 million-real Barra do Jaguari project would have 29.7 megawatts.
Details for the Bela Vista project wasn’t delivered to
regulators, said a press official for the public prosecutor’s
office who didn’t want to identify himself, citing the agency’s
policies. Sigma Energia couldn’t be reached.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Vanessa Dezem in Sao Paulo at
vdezem@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Reed Landberg at
landberg@bloomberg.net
Will Wade, Robin Saponar