Water Availability Assessment from Power Generation Reservoirs in the Rio Grande Operated by Furnas, Brazil

Abstract

Analyzing water availability from energy generation reservoirs is a determining factor in inferring the economic and development capacity of countries that operate primarily with hydroelectric generation. This is because the reservoirs configure the battery of this type of electric power generation system. In this context, the main interference variables are climate, consumptive use, operation, land use and occupation, topography, sediment input and geology. The present article analyzed rainfall data and the consumptive uses of five hydroelectric plants in the Rio Grande, operated by Furnas in Brazil. These two variables are chosen due to the frequent correlation between the rainfall regime and reservoir level and the scarcity of studies considering the influence of consumptive uses in this storage process. Data from 1994 to 2021 were analyzed from publicly available sources. The information was treated using the Mann–Kendall trend test. Having obtained the results, it was observed that there is a difference in behavior between accumulation and run-of-river plants, the rainfall regime over the years analyzed showed no trend, while the consumptive uses tend to grow. This shows the need for policies that encompass the combination of multiple uses so that the reservoirs are sustainable.