Evaluation of the hydraulic potential with hydrokinetic turbines for isolated systems in locations of the Amazon region

In Brazil, the Amazon River has a high potential to harness hydraulic energy to generate electricity. This article presents a methodology to quantify the hydraulic potential for the hydrokinetic technology of the Amazon River's segments, identifying and calculating the theoretical, geographic, technical and market potential of the places. The methodology uses the hydrodynamic behavior of the river as a base, using the computational code called SisBaHiA® to evaluate the potential in large segments of the Amazon River. It provides important technical inputs to guide the development of hydrokinetic technology in the Brazilian Amazon, where most of the systems are isolated, with diesel power plants (without access to the National Interconnected System) or communities without access to the power grids. It presents original and historical data in the characterization of the river that reflect the persistence of velocity. Our results indicate great potential for its development, as there is theoretical potential 12,028 MW, geographic 4.77 MW/km², technical 1,479 MW and market 626 MW, where it would be possible to generate 7,969 GWh of renewable electricity and 909.72 MW of firm energy. This study contributes to the formulation of public policies to implement hydrokinetic technology for isolated systems in these and other places with similar environmental conditions.