UTE Marlim Azul and the risks of individualized environmental licensing in Brazil

Abstract

Environmental licensing, a tool of the National Environmental Policy, presents exploitable flaws in individualized processes. This study demonstrates the consequences of this practice by analyzing inconsistencies in the environmental impact assessment of water consumption by the Marlim Azul I Thermal Power Plant (UTE) in Macaé-RJ, Brazil. The methodology was based on documentary analysis, comparing the project submitted for the preliminary license request with the water grant issued by INEA for UTE Marlim Azul I, its actually installed project, and the subsequent assessment by IBAMA for its expansion (UTE Marlim Azul II). The results indicate a drinking water consumption from the Macaé River by UTE I that is inconsistent with the project originally submitted for the preliminary license, which foresaw a closed-loop water cycle with regeneration, while its own expansion project manages to reduce water consumption by 95% by adopting the regeneration technologies planned in the original project. It is concluded that isolated licensing is ineffective for large-scale projects, as it allows for the accumulation of impacts from different ventures and potentially exceeds acceptable emission limits. A synergistic approach is recommended that assesses the cumulative impacts of projects, reviewing current licenses to incorporate readily available mitigation technologies.