Arayara points out that the project to install floating thermoelectric plants by Karpowership in Rio de Janeiro is still in progress and requests an immediate suspension, since the project will have environmental impacts such as deforestation and damage to fishing.
Last Thursday (28/07), the Non-Governmental Organization Arayara asked the environmental agencies of Rio de Janeiro (Ceca and Inea) to immediately suspend the project to install thermoelectric floats of the Karpowership company in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The NGO warns of problems of deforestation and influence on regional fishing as the main environmental impacts of the company's undertaking, which continues in progress even with a court order to stop it.
Karpowership undertaking to install floating thermoelectric plants in RJ is still in progress and NGO Arayara requests suspension due to environmental impacts
Karpowership's licensing process for the continuity of its project to install floating thermoelectric power plants in the state of Rio de Janeiro now suffers from yet another impasse, the request from the NGO Arayara to include the measure to suspend the undertaking in the licensing.
This, because the organization states that, even after the decision of the Justice of Rio de Janeiro to suspend the installation process of the plants, on the last 22nd of July, the company continues to move to give continuity to the project.
The Karpowership undertaking in question provides for the installation not only of four floating thermoelectric plants in the region, but also of an LNG storage and regasification unit, in addition to 40 transmission towers to ensure the proper functioning of the energy complex in the Rio de Janeiro region.
However, although it looks like a great opportunity for the growth of the energy sector in the state of Rio de Janeiro, the Karpowership project will bring a series of irreversible environmental impacts to the region of Rio de Janeiro.
Among them, Arayara highlights the deforestation of coastal vegetation in the region, since the project has already destroyed mangroves and restingas of the Atlantic Forest, the most deforested biome in the entire national territory today and the one that needs greater attention in terms of preservation on the part of of the Federal Government.
In addition, environmental impacts are also occurring in the marine environment, since the movement for the installation of floating thermoelectric plants in the region is driving away fish and harming fishing activity, essential for a good part of the Rio population.
Fishermen from Rio de Janeiro have already positioned themselves against the project in the region and the environmental impacts of floating thermoelectric plants could get worse, says Arayara
In addition to the request by the NGO Arayara for the suspension of the energy company's project in the state of Rio de Janeiro, a total of 160 fishermen from the Fishermen's Association of the São Francisco River Channel took up positions in 60 boats to protest against the enterprise of Karpowership's floating thermoelectric plants. This was because the company's vessels were preventing free access for fishermen, thus hindering the work of residents.
“In addition to strengthening a dirty energy matrix — which should be left in the past —, the potential for atmospheric and maritime pollution is enormous. In the case of the sea, the water used to cool the engines of the vessels will be returned at a temperature higher than that of the region, reaching sensitive organisms, such as the Boto Cinza, not to mention the chemicals used to descale the cooling systems”, warned the organization in note contrary to the Karpowership venture.
Now, the NGO awaits new directions for its request, after the 17th Federal Court of Rio de Janeiro dispatched the notification for Inea to manifest itself on the MPF's questions on July 27th, but has not yet received a response regarding the measures taken to circumvent the environmental impacts of the company's presence in the state.
