DEFORESTATION INHERENT TO THE INSTALLATION OF CENTRALIZED PHOTOVOLTAIC PLANTS IN THE STATE OF CEARÁ

Abstract

Socioeconomic development drives an increase in energy demand, which increases the exploitation of fossil fuels in the global energy matrix. This signals the need to implement renewable energy models, such as solar photovoltaics. Brazil, in particular, has potential for the exploration of photovoltaic solar energy, given its privileged location, with solar incidence throughout the year. In the Northeast region, the state of Ceará stands out for having approximately 93% of its territory in a semi-arid climate, with solar radiation incident throughout the year. Thus, the objective of this work was to discuss the expansion of photovoltaic projects/plants (UFV) in the state of Ceará and about the deforestation inherent to their implementation. Data were obtained from the Superintendência Estadual do Meio Ambiente (SEMACE) and from Sistema Nacional de Controle da Origem dos Produtos Florestais (SINAFLOR) do Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis (IBAMA). In total, 150 projects were catalogued, licensed from 2011 to 2022, in different licensing phases (preliminary, installation, operation). Of these, 27 came into operation by December 2022, with 2,058.88 ha having been deforested, with a woody yield of 157,388.13 st of firewood. It was observed that, in relation to the concentration of licensed enterprises, four regions stood out: Vale do Jaguaribe; Cariri; Grande Fortaleza and Centro Sul. In terms of quantity of area authorized for deforestation, Vale do Jaguaribe and Grande Fortaleza obtained the first positions. It is noteworthy that the Vale do Jaguaribe had a larger deforested area, however, the woody yield obtained in the Grande Fortaleza region was higher. This fact was probably due to the differences between geomorphological and phytoecological units of each location, as well as the factors of vegetation density and land use.