The Santo Antônio hydropower project on the Madeira River in Brazil has been awarded Gold certification under the Hydropower Sustainability Standard (HSS) after addressing sustainability performance gaps identified in an earlier assessment.
The 3568MW hydropower facility, located in Brazil’s Rondônia State, is jointly owned by Santo Antônio Energia and Eletrobras. It is one of the largest hydropower plants in Latin America and supplies renewable electricity to millions of people across the country. The project also supports regional economic development and environmental management initiatives.
A previous evaluation conducted in 2014 under a predecessor sustainability framework identified performance gaps related to Indigenous Peoples engagement and community resettlement processes.
Since that assessment, Santo Antônio Energia has implemented corrective actions aimed at improving social and environmental performance. According to the latest HSS assessment, the project has introduced measures to provide fair compensation and benefits to affected communities, strengthen workplace safety standards, and improve labour conditions.
The assessment also reported increased investment in biodiversity conservation programmes. Environmental monitoring data indicated that water quality and sediment levels have remained stable, while cultural heritage sites in the project area have been preserved.
João Costa, Executive Director of the Hydropower Sustainability Alliance, said the certification reflects sustained improvement efforts by the project operator.
“Achieving Gold certification is a testament to years of persistent effort,” Costa said. “Santo Antônio shows that genuine sustainability is a long-term commitment. By engaging openly and taking action to address shortcomings, major projects like this can ensure they deliver the maximum benefit for people, nature and the climate.”
With this certification, Santo Antônio becomes the third hydropower project in Brazil to achieve recognition under the Hydropower Sustainability Standard. The HSS framework is used internationally to assess hydropower projects against environmental, social, and governance performance benchmarks.
Further details on the Hydropower Sustainability Standard and the Santo Antônio Hydropower Project assessment are available through the Hydropower Sustainability Alliance.
