Thaindian News

Rio de Janeiro, Jan 14 (IANS/EFE) Venezuela, which has implemented a nationwide power-rationing plan, has cut sales of electricity to Brazil by 20 percent, Brazilian officials said.
Venezuela cut electricity sales Tuesday to Roraima state, which depends on the neighbouring country for nearly all its power since it is not connected to Brazil’s national grid, from 100 MW to 80 MW, a spokesman for the state-owned Eletronorte utility told EFE.

Venezuelan officials notified Brazil of the cut in power supplies and warned that electricity sales to Roraima could be slashed by another 20 MW next month “if the drought continues”, the Eletronorte spokesman said.

The drought has caused the water level at the Guri Dam, which supplies more than 70 percent of Venezuela’s electricity, to fall drastically.

The hydroelectric power plants that supply almost 90 percent of Venezuela’s electricity operate with water from the Caroni river, whose dams are currently almost 10 metres below normal levels.

Venezuela is implementing measures to save energy and avoid finding itself in a “critical” situation by the end of February, Electricity Minister Angel Rodriguez told the official ABN news agency earlier this week.

Rolling blackouts started Wednesday in several cities, including Caracas, and are expected to continue until the rainy season begins in May.

Eletronorte has activated a thermoelectric plant in Boavista, the capital of Roraima, to prevent power shortages.

Roraima, located in the Amazon region, has some 500,000 inhabitants.

–IANS/EFE

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