BrazilEnde launches tender to find consultancy firm for 600MW Rositas hydro plant
Bolivia’s state power company Ende has launched a tender to find a consulting firm that will support the further development of its planned 600MW Rositas hydroelectric plant.
The Rositas hydroelectric plant (Central Hidroeléctrica Rositas) is a hydroelectric power plant in pre-construction in Abapó. The project is planned to be built on the Grande river, downstream of its confluence with the Rositas river and 16km upstream from the Abapó community, spanning the departments of Santa Cruz and Chuquisaca.
With the new plant, the Bolivian government wants to lessen its dependence on fossil fuels whilst guaranteeing energy and water supplies. The project also aims to safeguard energy supply to Santa Cruz, which is Bolivia’s most populous department with 3.2 million inhabitants.
Early planning shows that the Rositas hydroelectric plant would include a clay core earth dam, river diversion tunnels, a spillway, water intakes and a machine house to hold four turbines.
Ende said yesterday that it has launched a request for proposal for a consulting firm that can oversee social management and the environmental impact evaluation study. The contract is worth 24 million boliviano ($3.5 million). Offers for the 540-day contract are due next month.
The Rositas project is designed to generate some 600 megawatts (MW) of energy. Bolivia’s current grid capacity is 1,400MW, of which it consumes 1,200MW. Beyond generating energy, the dam would irrigate 164,000 hectares of agricultural land, supply drinking water to Santa Cruz and reduce the risk of flooding downstream.
Controversial project
However, if the Rositas project goes ahead, it would also have serious impacts on communities in the neighbouring area. According to reports, at least 12 nearby communities that live off dairy farming and agriculture would have to resettle. For the past three years, families from the region have voiced fears about having to leave the homes they have occupied for 40 years.
