Brazilian hydropower project Jirau sets new benchmark with first certification against the Hydropower Sustainability Standard in South America
The Jirau Hydropower Plant, situated along the Madeira River in Rondônia and owned by Jirau Energia, has received the highest certification tier granted by Hydropower Sustainability Council. Operating with an impressive capacity of 3,750 MW, Jirau’s significant contribution to Brazil's status as South America's leading hydropower electricity producer underscores the importance of this achievement.
"Brazil's important role in the global hydropower arena is indisputable, and the attainment of Gold certification for the Jirau project serves as compelling evidence of the country’s potential to drive sustainability-focused development and operation sector-wide,” Dr. Ashok Khosla, Chair of the Hydropower Sustainability Council, observed. “We warmly acknowledge this significant achievement which underscores the pressing imperative to further elevate hydropower practices in the region.”
The certification process for the Jirau project involved a rigorous independent assessment and site visit conducted by a team of accredited assessors. Following this, a 60-day public consultation period allowed stakeholders to review and comment on the assessment findings.
The project's performance in the assessment exceeded good practice, with scores surpassing 60% in all advanced requirements for each of the 12 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) topics outlined in the Hydropower Sustainability Standard.
"As the primary source of electricity in Brazil, hydropower is essential to meet the country's energy demands," remarked Edson Silva, Director of Jirau Energia. "We recognise and advocate for the importance of hydroelectricity generation that actively minimises any potential adverse social and environmental effects. We hope that Jirau can set an example for other hydropower projects across the continent, encouraging them to continuously improve and demonstrate their sustainability practices."
Jirau's commitment to sustainability was evident from its early stages as it underwent an assessment in 2012 against the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP) tool, when the project was still in its implementation stage. This initial assessment laid the foundation for Jirau's remarkable journey towards achieving Gold certification in 2023.
"Having conducted the initial assessment of the Jirau project using the HSAP during construction, it is very gratifying to return after a decade of operations and witness the significant progress and consolidation of environmental and social initiatives, along with the positive impacts generated by the project,” noted Joerg Hartmann, Lead Accredited Assessor for the 2023 assessment and a member of the assessing team in the 2012 assessment. “Having previously collaborated with Jirau Energia, we hold an optimistic outlook that this dedicated team will persist in working on remaining issues, particularly in areas related to the livelihoods of local communities and aquatic biodiversity, even as they have already achieved Gold-level certification."
Additional resources:
Jirau Hydropower plant assessment report
Hydropower Sustainability Standard
Jirau Energia website