Brazilian-Paraguyan Itaipu Binational, a hydroelectric power plant built on the border between Brazil and Paraguay, which served as technical inspiration for the construction of Three Gorges Dam, in China, is now also an example of social-environmental good practices.

The Coordination and Environment director at Itaipu, Nelton Friedrich, presented the social-environmental actions developed at Paraná Basin 3 in an international symposium at the Chinese hydroelectric power plant.

In the symposium, promoted together with non-governmental organizations International Hydropower Association (IHA), The Nature Conservancy and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Friedrich spoke mainly about the Cultivating Good Water Program, a set of 20 programs and 63 projects developed with several partners in 29 cities in the area of influence of the mill, Paraná Basin 3.

According to the Itaipu director, receptiveness was very good. "Not only the managers of Three Gorges mill, but also the representatives of several organizations present at the event showed interest in learning about the program," he pointed out.

According to the executive, what attracted most attention was the management by microbasins, the involvement of several Itaipu partners, mainly of communities, and the way the company is reaching results in the environmental area.

The program has already generated several awards for Itaipu, domestic and international, like the Earth Letter and the 5th Brazilian Environmental Benchmarking.

"Apart from the work directly connected to water, the stimulation we gave to other practices also generated interest, like organic agriculture, environmental education and medicinal plants," said the Itaipu director.

According to him, the talk had immediate return. "The operations director at WWF in China, Zhu Chunqeuan, showed interest in exchange of information, whereas Refaat Abdel-Malek, president at IHA, said that he is going to bring to Itaipu representatives to know more about the program," explained Nelton.

Anba

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Ocean Power
written by zedi, November 02, 2008

China is the world's most populous country, with over 1.3 billion people and is going to need an awful lot of power in the future. Especially now they are become economically stable in recent years. More and more households are able to afford electrical goods. So its going to need much power to run those new washing machines. Then what happens if electric cars gain in popularity due to pollution factors. More power needed.

So alternative measures are needed to sustain these needs which due not pose an environmental risk (nuclear power).
I`m just wondering is there anyway the power from Oceans of the world cannot be harnessed to provide another viable source ?

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What a joke "Socio-Enrironmentally Hip "
written by ch.c., November 02, 2008

- Just look at Paraguay request !
- Itaipu was built with FOREIGN TECHNOLGIES AND KNOW HOW !!!!! Just have a look at who built the Turbines !
And most of the planning was done by european engineers, architects, etc etc.

Another pretentious Brazilian fairy tale and self boasting !

Reality being :
- In 1970, the consortium formed by the companies IECO (from the United States of America) and ELC Electroconsult S.p.A. (from Italy) won the international competition for the realization of the viability studies !
- When construction of the dam began, approximately 10,000 families living beside the Paraná River were dislodged from their plots in order to make way for the dam. Many of these families sought refuge in the town of Medianeira, a town not far from the confluence of the Iguaçu and Paraná rivers. Some of these families eventually came to be members of one of Brazil's largest social movements, the MST

And not from me.........................."Here's the thing: Paraguay sells its electricity to Brazil at $3 per megawatt-hour. Right now, Brazil can sell the same unit of electricity to its private utilities at $150 per megawatt-hour. There is an electricity crisis in Latin America right now, especially in Chile, and electricity prices are very high. It's immediately obvious Brazil is not paying Paraguay the right price for its power. And Paraguay is losing billions of dollars."

Corrupt politicians set this low price in 1973... under a 50-year contract. The Brazilians bribed the Paraguayan government to sell them power at a rate that's far too low. Now, there are calls to change this rate, but who knows if that'll happen...

- turbines are mainly from Alstom and Siemens



LAUGH....LAUGH....LAUGH....LAUGH

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