The Guri hydroelectric power plant, located in Bolívar State, Venezuela, on the Caroni River. File photo.
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has signed a decree reopening the country’s ability to purchase electricity from Venezuela, a collaborative opportunity that had been suspended during the government of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
The Brazilian minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, emphasized the decree’s significance, stating that it will facilitate the “execution of contracts aimed at importing clean and renewable energy from Venezuela to Brazil from the Guri hydroelectric plant, which will once again play an important role in guaranteeing cheap and sustainable energy for Roraima and Brazil.”
The agreement will also grant Brazil the opportunity to engage in electric energy exchange with neighboring countries like Argentina and Uruguay. This endeavor aims to foster a network of energy interconnection across South America, reduce costs, and ensure the secure operation of systems dependent on imports.
As a result, Brazil will resume its purchase of energy from the Guri hydroelectric plant, located in the Venezuelan state of Bolívar, which will supply energy to the entire Brazilian Amazonian state of Roraima. Although Roraima had been receiving electricity from the Venezuelan hydroelectric power station since 2001, this arrangement was terminated in 2019 by Jair Bolsonaro, who severed diplomatic ties with Venezuela.
Presidente Lula participa do Relançamento do Programa Luz para Todos https://t.co/NIMlLPnqmg
— Lula (@LulaOficial) August 4, 2023
Following the disruption of electricity supply, Roraima found itself reliant on thermal power plants fueled by diesel and natural gas, which not only raised energy expenses but also was an environmentally detrimental source of power generation.
Lula signed the new decree in the Amazonian city of Parintins, where he ratified that his government will “rebuild the public policies that marked his first two terms [2003-2011] in office.”
In May, the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, announced that his government was reviewing the possibility of resuming the sale of electricity from the Guri Dam, also known as the Simón Bolívar Hydroelectric Plant, to the Brazilian state of Roraima.
During his visit to Brazil, President Maduro stated that Venezuela could immediately initiate the transmission of 190 megawatts, but a basic investment of about 4-5 million USD would be required to renovate the transmission lines.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
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