Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
2 min of reading 
Thinking About Generating An Ever-Lesser Impact On The Environment, BNDES Will Stop Financing Coal Plants
Energy sources that depend on coal will no longer have an important partner for project development in the country. The National Bank for Economic and Social Development, BNDES, stated that it will stop financing energy sources that have a significant negative impact on the environment.
The announcement from BNDES comes amid the worst drought in 90 years. While hydropower plants are operating at reduced energy production capacity, coal thermal plants are being used to meet energy needs and prevent blackouts.
Currently, Brazil has a total of 22 thermal plants, but they represent only 2% of all energy generated in Brazil.
-
For the first time in history, 900 quilombola and riverine families in Marajó will have electricity — teams take solar panels by boat to communities without roads.
-
In 80 years building 22 thousand dams, Brazil impacted more than 4 million people — and the law approved in 2024 to protect those affected has not yet come into effect.
-
China is building 5 cascade dams for $167 billion in Tibet — and the Motuo Project will have 70 GW of capacity, three times more than the world’s current largest power plant.
-
993 schools and 217 healthcare facilities in the Amazon still lack electricity — while Brazil entered the world Top 4 in renewable installations in 2024.
In contact with CNN, sector experts highlight that BNDES’s new policy is only for future plants. Given that they take between 4 and 6 years to be completed, the effects of the new policy will only be seen in the long term.
The BNDES has prioritized other energy sources that have much less impact on the environment. Wind energy, solar energy, and biomass are just a few examples of technologies that are friendlier to the nature.
Brazil is experiencing a severe energy crisis due to the drought. With little rain and reservoirs at low water levels, less energy is generated, forcing the government to use coal plants to meet the demand. However, in addition to being more polluting, this alternative is much more expensive.
Be the first to react!