According to Brazil’s National Water Agency, the current conditions are set to last until 30 November. Credit: Bloomberg/Contributor via Getty Images.

Brazil switched off two of its largest hydroelectric power plants last week due to a severe drought.

On Wednesday (7 August), the Electric Sector Monitoring Committee (CMSE) advised the Brazilian government to minimise hydropower usage and shift its focus to thermal sources as well as import electricity from Argentina and Uruguay, citing low water levels in the River Madeira.

According to Brazil’s National Water Agency, the current conditions are set to last until 30 November.

Brazil is the second-largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). Power Technology’s parent company, GlobalData, reports that the country recorded 41GW of hydropower generation in 2023.

The country was expected to continue high levels of hydro generation this year with large amounts of water secured in its dams, but the drought on the river Madeira, which has been an issue since mid-2023, has remained a hurdle.

The global hydro crisis

Brazil is not the only country to experience this crisis; droughts have led to a significant drop in hydropower generation worldwide.