Northeastern Brazil Groundwater Project

Inauguration of Experimental Solar Station
Livramento, Ceará, Brazil
November 26, 2001

A significant milestone for the CIDA-sponsored Northeastern Brazil Groundwater Project (PROASNE) took place on Monday, November 26, 2001, with the inauguration of the solar powered pumping and desalinization pilot station, in the rural community of Livramento, about 250 km west of Fortaleza, the capital city of the state of Ceará in NE-Brazil.

The pilot station is the product of concerted efforts by a five-member partnership involving Natural Resources Canada, the Geological Survey of Brazil (CPRM), Sunmotor International of Calgary, Dancor Indústria Mecânica of Rio de Janeiro, and SOHIDRA, a branch of the Water Resources Secretariat of the state of Ceará. Canada’s contribution to the project consisted of developing a special d.c. motor that was adapted to a line of Brazilian pumps manufactured by Dancor, making them more efficient thus permitting to generate the relatively high pressures needed to operate the reverse osmosis equipment needed to remove salt from the water in order to make it potable. This station is the first in northeast Brazil to desalinize groundwater using solar energy.  We anticipate that the experiment at Livramento will demonstrate the benefits of the technology and lead to an expanded use of solar power in drought-prone and energy deficient NE-Brazil.  

The event of November 26 was honoured with the presence of the President of CIDA, Len Good, the Vice-President for the Americas, Robert Anderson and Director General, Don McMaster; the Director of Hydrology at the Geological Survey of Brazil (CPRM), Thales de Queiroz Sampaio; the Head of the International Affairs Secretariat at CPRM, Maria Glícia Coutinho; the President of Sunmotor International, Eric Jensen; the Deputy Superintendent of SOHIDRA, Mércia Sales; and the Prefect of the Municipality of Irauçuba, Evaldo Gomes Bastos.  Also present were Louis Verret, CIDA’s representative in Brazil; the Brazilian and Canadian General Coordinators of PROASNE, Enjôlras Medeiros (CPRM) and Yvon Maurice (NRCan), Fabio Peixoto Cavalcante, the principal engineer and architect of the station, as well as representatives from CPRM, the Canadian Embassy, Dancor Indústria Mecânica, state and municipal governments and project partners and collaborators. Oderson Souza Filho of CPRM organized the logistics and Rita Eugênia Santiago, PROASNE's social coordinator in Ceará, served as master of ceremony.  A specially designed plaque was unveiled to commemorate the occasion.

After the ceremony at Livramento, the group met community residents at the Juá school house where a light lunch was offered followed by a display of folkloric dances exhibiting local talent. 

More details on the Solar Power Project can be found elsewhere on this site.  Press coverage of the event is available in Portuguese.

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