In this thesis we look at one of the aging mechanisms that may have affected current aged Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). Irradiation as an age-related degradation mechanism is studied for Reinforced Concrete (RC) in NPPs. This problem can be important for aged reactor buildings, radwaste buildings, spent nuclear fuel, research reactors, or accelerators that experience high levels of radiation close to existing thresholds. Mechanical properties of concrete are the most important parameters affected by radiation in NPPs. Compressive strength of concrete is reduced between 80 and 35 \% for radiation fluences between $2\times 10^{19}$ and $2\times 10^{21} n/cm^2$. Tensile strength reduction is more significant than compressive strength. It is reduced between 20 and 80 \% for a radiation fluence equal to $5\times 10^{19}$. We chose three radiation levels $2\times 10^{19}$, $2\times 10^{20}$, $2\times 10^{20}$ based on experimental results as the critical levels of radiation that RC structures in NPPs may be exposed to. Structures susceptible to the problem are mostly RC walls; so the RC panel is chosen as an appropriate representative scale element for the analysis. The effect of radiation on mechanical properties of concrete is considered to analyze degraded scale elements. Material properties, geometry, and loading scenarios of scale elements are selected to be close to actual quantities in existing nuclear power plant. Elements are analyzed under six types of loading combination of shear and axial loading conditions. A nonlinear finite element program, Membrane-2000, based on the Modified Compression Field Theory (MCFT) is used to solve scale elements numerically. Element behaviors are studied considering the factors influence ultimate strength capacity, failure mode, and structural ductility index of members. The results show that ultimate shear capacity of the elements subjected to combinations of shear and tension loading are reduced significantly for highly reinforced elements ($1.35<\rho<1.88$) in $2\times 10^{21} n/cm^2$ radiation. RC panels under shear-biaxial and uniaxial compression also show significant strength capacity reduction in radiation levels $2\times 10^{20} n/cm^2$ and $2\times 10^{21} n/cm^2$, respectively. Failure modes of the elements change from yielding of steel to shear failure by increasing level of degradation for the elements with reinforcement ratio between 0.9 and 1.88. Ductility of the RC panels is reduced significantly in the critical levels of radiation. Ductility of the elements became less than the allowable ductility value by increasing level of radiation.

This thesis presents a comprehensive procedure to study sub-synchronous interactions in wind integrated power systems effectively and efficiently. The proposed procedure involves a screening phase and a detailed analysis phase. The screening is performed using a frequency scan and the detailed analysis is performed using small signal stability analysis. To facilitate the small signal analysis, a detailed linearized model of a Type 3 wind power plant is presented in this thesis. The model presented includes the generator, a three-mass drive train model, rotor and grid side converter controller models, converter transformer model and the pitch controller model. To accurately capture the effects of sub-synchronous interactions, the ac network is modelled using dynamic phasors. It is shown that using the proposed procedure, the sub-synchronous interaction between a Type 3 wind power plant and a series compensated line is due to an electrical resonance between the wind power plant generator and the series capacitor. It is also shown that this interaction is highly controllable through the rotor side converter current controllers. This fact will be proven by studying the sub-synchronous interactions in a single machine power system as well as in multi machine power systems. This thesis also presents a sub-synchronous interaction mitigation method using network devices. The performance of an SVC and a STATCOM is evaluated in this thesis. A small signal stability analysis based method will be used to design a sub-synchronous damping controller. A method will be presented to estimate the damping controller parameters systematically to obtain the desired performance using small signal stability analysis results. Furthermore, it will be shown that by strongly controlling the voltage of the point of common coupling, the damping of the oscillations produced by the sub-synchronous interaction between the wind power plant and the series compensated line can be improved. Based on the findings of this research, the thesis proposes a number of recommendations to be adopted when studying the sub-synchronous interactions in wind integrated power systems. These recommendations will facilitate to do such studies effectively and pinpoint the root cause of the sub-synchronous interactions.

Most mature oil reservoirs or fields tend to perform below expectations, owing to high level of associated gas production. This creates a sub-optimal performance of the oil production surface facilities; increasing oil production specific operating cost. In many scenarios oil companies flare/vent this gas. In addition to oil production constraints, associated gas flaring and venting consists an environmental disasters and economic waste. Significant steps are now being devised to utilise associated gas using different exploitation techniques. Most of the technologies requires large associated gas throughput. However, small-scale associated gas resources and non-associated natural gas reserves (commonly referred to as stranded gas or marginal field) remains largely unexploited. Thus, the objective of this thesis is to evaluate techno- economic of gas turbine engines for onsite electric power generation called gas- to-wire (GTW) using the small-scaled associated gas resources. The range of stranded flared associated gas and non-associated gas reserves considered is around 10 billion to 1 trillion standard cubic feet undergoing production decline. The gas turbine engines considered for power plant in this study are based on simple cycle or combustion turbines. Simple cycle choice of power-plant is conceived to meet certain flexibility in power plant capacity factor and availability during production decline. In addition, it represents the basic power plant module cable of being developed into other power plant types in future to meet different local energy requirements. This study developed a novel gas-to-wire techno-economic and risk analysis framework, with capability for probabilistic uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. It comprises an iterative calculation of the probabilistic recoverable reserves with decline module and power plant thermodynamic performance module enabled by Turbomatch (an in-house code) and Gas Turb® software coupled with economic risk modules with @Risk® commercial software. This algorithm is a useful tool for simulating the interaction between disrupted gas production profiles induced by production decline and its effect on power plant techno-economic performance over associated gas utilization economic life. Furthermore, a divestment and make- up fuel protocol is proposed for management of gas turbine engine units to mitigate economical underperformance of power plant regime experienced due to production decline. The results show that utilization of associated gas for onsite power generation is a promising technology for converting waste to energy. Though, associated gas composition can be significant to gas turbine performance but a typical Nigerian associated gas considered is as good as a regular natural gas. The majority of capital investment risk is associated with production decline both natural and manmade. Finally, the rate of capital investment returns decreases with smaller reserves.

In Lake Vänern, Sweden, there is an endemic population of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) that lives its entire life in fresh water. The salmon is hindered from migrating to its natural spawning sites in the northern part of the River Klarälven by nine hydro-electric power plants. None of the hydro-electric power plants have fishways so that salmon migrating upstream or downstream may pass. In the current situation, the upward migrating salmon are caught in a fish trap at the most downstream located power plant in Forshaga. From there, the salmon are driven in a truck, past eight power plants and released a few kilometers upstream of the eighth power plant at Edsforsen. This study investigated the difference in the proportion of fallbacks between early (June-July) and late (August-September) migrating salmons in 2011-2013. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the proportion of fallbacks between the early and the late-migrating salmon. Fifty-one percent of the early salmon and 13% of the late salmon fell back during these 3 years. Further, there was no significant difference between males and females that became fallbacks. Nor was there any difference in the length of early and late-migrating salmon or fallbacks and non-fallbacks. / I sjön Vänern, Sverige, finns en endemisk population av Atlantlax (Salmo salar L.) som lever hela sitt liv i sötvatten. Laxen hindras från att migrera till sina naturliga lekplatser i norra delen av Klarälven av nio vattenkraftverk. Inget av vattenkraftverken har fiskvägar så att lax som migrerar uppströms eller nedströms kan passera. I dagsläget fångas lax som vandrar uppströms in i en fiskfälla vid det mest nedströms belägna kraftverket i Forshaga. Därifrån körs laxen i lastbil förbi åtta kraftverk och släpps ut några kilometer uppströms det åttonde kraftverket i Edsforsen. Den här studien undersökte skillnaden i andelen fallbacks mellan tidigt (juni-juli) och sent (augusti-september) migrerande laxar under åren 2011-2013. Resultaten visade att det fanns en signifikant skillnad i andelen fallbacks mellan den tidiga och den sent migrerande laxen. Femtioen procent av den tidiga laxen och 13% av den sena laxen föll tillbaka under dessa 3 år. Vidare fanns det ingen signifikant skillnad mellan hanar och honor som blev fallbacks. Det fanns inte heller någon skillnad i längden av tidigt och sent migrerande lax eller lax som föll tillbaka och lax som inte föll tillbaka.

This thesis examines the design of supervisory controllers for windfarms of pitch-controlled wind turbines. The control objectives are the maximisation of the financial income from the generated electricity and the minimisation of the turbines' fatigue damage. The design exploits the wide variations in the ratio of financial income to fatigue damage which are found both spatially across windfarms and as a function of time. The supervisory control strategy makes use of the ability of pitch-controlled turbines to operate with variable power set points; a capability which is rarely exploited in practice. A windfarm simulation which has been developed for the purposes of testing supervisory controllers is described. It is shown that the simulation is a suitable test-bed for this application. Results are presented which demonstrate how the fatigue damage of a turbine's gearbox and structural components vary as functions of the mean wind-speed, turbulence intensity and power set point, both for isolated turbines and for turbines experiencing wake effects. A lifetime performance function is proposed and 'ideal' power set point curves are evaluated using a genetic search algorithm. It is shown that significant improvements in performance can be achieved if the operation of the turbines is altered to take account of variable electricity tariffs. A windfarm control strategy that splits the turbines into interacting and non-interacting categories is found to give good results. Using data generated by the simulation, it is shown that simple cost functions can be developed for non-interacting turbines which, when used in a controller, give performance that is close to the 'ideal'. A similar cost function is applied to a group of three interacting turbines, and it is found that substantial reductions in all measures of total annual fatigue damage are achieved for a small reduction in total annual financial income. The on-line implementation of windfarm supervisory controllers is discussed and the behaviour of a simple hill-climbing algorithm is examined using a simulated group of three interacting turbines.

A comunidade da Vila do Frade encontra-se localizada a 5 km de distância em linha reta do reator da central Nuclear almirante Álvaro Alberto, angra dos Reis, RJ. Possui uma população heterogênea, miscigenada por intensos processos de migração ocorridos a partir da década de 1960 em busca das oportunidades de emprego oferecidos pela industrialização local. Ao longo do tempo, parte dessa população assumiu o risco de morar próximo a um reator nuclear, e por isso, migrou em direção as ofertas de emprego oferecidas pelas atividades da central nuclear. Porém, outra parte da população, já residente na região antes da instalação dos reatores nucleares, foi obrigada a conviver com os riscos ou a migrar. À medida que as transformações territoriais avançaram pelas diferentes áreas do município passaram a expor a sociedade local a riscos nunca antes experimentados. Entendido como um processo ou o produto da frequência de ocorrência de um evento no tempo, o risco pode ser assumido, gerenciado ou negligenciado. Dessa forma, a presente pesquisa buscou, através de um estudo empírico, compreender como os diferentes agentes sociais locais convivem com os riscos da atividade nuclear. Foi objetivo da pesquisa a análise da concepção do conceito e da condição de risco por parte dos diferentes agentes sociais constituintes da comunidade da Vila do Frade, Angra dos Reis. Além disso, foi discutido o papel do Estado no processo do ordenamento territorial local. Para tal, uma metodologia baseada no estudo da percepção ambiental dos diferentes agentes sociais locais foi elaborada. As atividades foram precedidas de um levantamento bibliográfico capaz de dar suporte as investigações, além disso, foram realizadas entrevistas quantitativas e qualitativas com as diferentes representações sociais local. As entrevistas quantitativas foram organizadas num banco de dados e utilizadas para compor uma caracterização da população local no que se refere aos conhecimentos necessários para a aplicação do plano de emergência externo da central nuclear. As entrevistas qualitativas foram organizadas num questionário semiestruturado, composto por perguntas abertas e fechadas, e tiveram como objetivo geral uma compreensão da influência da central nuclear nos processos de desenvolvimento humano local. Para a maioria dos entrevistados a falta de um instrumental metodológico capaz de abranger com maior eficiência todas as áreas, classes sociais da comunidade da Vila do Frade e levar com clareza as questões que se colocam dentro do plano de emergência externo são apontados como o principal fator de risco existente na região. / The community of Vila do Frade is located 5 km away, on a straight line, from the reactor of the nuclear power plant Almirante Álvaro Alberto, Angra dos Reis, RJ . It has a heterogeneous population, mixed-race from intense migration processes, which started occurring inthe 1960s, in search of employment opportunities offered by the local industrialization. Over time, part of this population took the risk of living near a nuclear reactor, and, therefore, migrated towards the jobs offered by the activities of nuclear power plant. However, another part of the population, resident in the region before the installation of nuclear reactors, was forced to live with the risk or to migrate. As the territorial transformations advanced through different areas of the city, the local community started being exposed to risks they had never experienced before. Understood as a process or the product of the frequency of occurrence of an event in time, the risk can be assumed, managed or neglected. Thus, this research sought, through an empirical study, to understand how the different local social agents live with the risks of nuclear activity. Objective of the research was the analysis of the concept design and the condition of risk by social workers of the different constituents of the Vila do Frade, Angra dos Reis community. Moreover, discussed the role of the state in local land use planning process. To this end, a methodology based on the study of the environmental perception of different local social agents was prepared. The activities were preceded by a bibliographical survey capable of supporting investigations; moreover, quantitative and qualitative interviews with different social local representations were made. The quantitative interviews were organized in a database and used to compose a characterization of the local population with regard to the knowledge needed to implement the external emergency plan for nuclear power plant. The qualitative interviews were arranged in a semi-structured questionnaire consisting of open and closed questions, and with the overarching goal of an understanding of the influence of nuclear power plant in the processes of local human development. For most respondents, the lack of a methodological tool able to cover more efficiently all areas and social classes of the community Vila do Frade and to clearly lead the issues that arise within the external emergency plan are pointed out as the main factor of risk that exists in the region.

Oförmåga att minska utsläppen av växthusgaser i tillräckligt takt för att undvika en alltför kraftig global uppvärmning har motiverat framtagandet av tekniker med potential att minska mängden koldioxid i atmosfären. En av dessa tekniker är bioenergi med koldioxidlagring (Bio-energy with carbon capture and storage, BECCS), där koldioxid avskiljs från punktkällor med biogena utsläpp och lagras i geologiska strukturer. Även biokol tillsatt till jordbruksmark har potential att bidra till negativa utsläpp. Både svenska och internationella strategier inkluderar negativa utsläpp för att uppfylla förpliktelserna i Parisavtalet. För att säkerhetsställa att teknikerna lever upp till potentialen krävs ett livscykelperspektiv där klimatpåverkan beräknas på systemnivå. En livscykelanalys utfördes, där klimatpåverkan vid utnyttjande av grenar och toppar (GROT) från den svenska skogsindustrin beräknades för teknikerna BECCS och biokol tillsatt till jordbruksmark. Teknikerna jämfördes med ett referensscenario där GROT förbränns i ett kraftvärmeverk för att producera el och fjärrvärme utan omhändertagande av koldioxid som bildas vid förbränning. Resultaten visar att BECCS har potentialen att bidra med negativa utsläpp på mellan -168 och -666 kg CO2-ekvivalenter/ ton GROT torrsubstans (TS). Då GROT-skörden ökar till 80% av den årliga avverkade arealen skog i Sverige och kombineras med gallring, resulterar 666 kg CO2-ekvivalenter/ ton GROT TS, i 4,4 miljoner ton CO2-ekvivalenter per år. Detta motsvarar 25,8 % av klimatpåverkan från inrikestransporter i Sverige år 2016. Nettoutsläppen från biokol tillsatt till jordbruksmarker, varierar mellan 934 och -344 kg CO2-ekvivalenter/ ton GROT TS. Då GROT-skörden ökar till 80% av den avverkade arealen skog i Sverige och kombineras med gallring, resulterar 344 kg CO2-ekvivalenter/ton GROT TS i 2,2 miljoner ton CO2-ekvivalenter. Detta motsvarar 13,3 % av klimatpåverkan från inrikes transporter i Sverige år 2016. Båda teknikerna har potential att åstadkomma nettonegativa växthusgasutsläpp, men resultaten är beroende av klimatpåverkan från ersättande el- och fjärrvärmeproduktion. / The inability to achieve sufficient reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has led to the development of techniques with potential to achieve negative greenhouse gas emissions. One of these techniques is called Bio-energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), where carbon dioxide is captured from biogenic point sources with biogenic emissions and stored underground. Biochar applied to farmland is another technique with potential to achieve negative greenhouse gas emissions. Both Swedish and international strategies, to meet the obligations in the Paris Agreement, include negative greenhouse gas emissions. A life cycle approach is required to ensure that the techniques deliver on the promise of negative emissions. A Life cycle assessment was conducted where the global warming potential was calculated for BECCS and biochar added to farmland in two different scenarios where tops and branches (GROT) from the Swedish forest industry were used as feedstock. The techniques were compared to a reference scenario where GROT were used in a combined heat and power plant (CHP-plant). The results show that BECCS has the potential to achieve net negative emissions of between -168 and -666 kg CO2-equivalents/ tonne GROT dry matter (DM). When GROT is harvested from 80% of the yearly final felling areas in Sweden and combined with thinning, 666 kg CO2-equivalents/ Mg GROT DM is equivalent to in 4,4 million ton CO2-equivalents per year. This corresponds to 25,8 % of Sweden's greenhouse gas emissions from domestic transportation in 2016. The results of greenhouse gas emissions from biochar applied to farmland varied between 934 to -344 CO2-equivalents/ Mg GROT DM. When GROT is harvested from 80% of final felling areas in Sweden and combined with thinning, -344 CO2-equivalents/ Mg GROT DM is equivalent to 2,2 million ton CO2- equivalents per year. This corresponds to 13,3 % of Sweden's greenhouse gas emissions from domestic transportation in 2016. Both techniques have the potential to achieve net negative greenhouse gas emissions. However, the results are greatly influenced by the climate impact from generating the electricity to replace the losses in electricity production when GROT is used for BECCS and biochar instead of in a CHP-plant.

Um die Wirtschaftlichkeit von Solarkraftwerken zu verbessern, sollte geprüft werden, inwieweit eine geschmolzene Mischung aus Natriumchlorid und Aluminiumchlorid als Wärmetransportflüssigkeit in Frage kommt. Aufgrund der Hydrolyseempfindlichkeit solcher Schmelzen kommt es durch Einwirkung von Wasser zur Bildung von Chlorwasserstoff sowie Aluminiumoxidchloriden, die in einem geschlossenen System zu einem Druckanstieg bzw. Ausfällungen führen können. Der Gesamtdruck über schwach basischen NaCl-AlCl3-Schmelzen wird durch eine hohe HCl-Löslichkeit herabgesetzt, sodass aus der Bilanz heraus ein Hydrolysegrad von ca. 50 % angenommen werden kann. Für die wassermengenabhängige Verfolgung des Druckes diente eine statische Methode mit einem Drucksensor. Der Oxidgehalt wurde voltammetrisch durch Titration mit TaCl5 und die HCl-Löslichkeit durch eine Elutionsmethode ermittelt. Für Informationen zum Lösungszustand der Hydrolyseprodukte wurden 1H- und 27Al-NMR-Spektren von hydrolysierten Schmelzen aufgenommen.

L’objet de cette thèse est l’intégration des parcs photovoltaïques intelligents au marché de l’électricité dans un environnement de libre concurrence. Les centrales photovoltaïques intelligentes sont celles qu’incluent systèmes de stockage pour réduire sa variabilité et en plus fournir à l’ensemble une plus grande contrôlabilité. Ces objectives techniques sont obtenues grâce à la capacité bidirectionnelle d’échange et stockage d’énergie qu’apportent les systèmes de stockage, dans ce cas, les batteries. Pour obtenir la rentabilité maximale des systèmes de stockage, le dimensionnement doit être optimisé en même temps que la stratégie de gestion avec laquelle le système de stockage est commandé. Dans cette thèse, une fois la technologie de stockage plus adapté à l’application photovoltaïque est sélectionnée, à savoir la technologie de lithium-ion, une participation innovatrice de part des parcs photovoltaïques intelligents dans le marché de l’électricité est proposée qui optimise à la fois le dimensionnement et la stratégie de gestion d’une manière simultanée. Ce processus d'optimisation ainsi que la participation au marché de l'électricité a été appliquée dans un cas d’étude réel, ce qui confirme que cette procédure permet de maximiser la rentabilité économique de ce type de production. / The present PhD deals with the integration of intelligent photovoltaic (IPV) power plants in the electricity markets in an environment subject to free competition. The IPV power plants are those that include energy storage systems to reduce the variability and to provide the entire group a controllability increase. These technical objectives are obtained thanks to the bidirectional exchanging and storing capability that the storage system contributes to, in this case, battery energy storage system (BESS). In order to obtain the maximum profitability of the BESS, the sizing must be optimized together with the control strategy that the BESS will be operated with. In the present PhD, once the most performing battery energy storage technology has been selected, the lithium-ion technology, an innovative IPV power plant electricity market participation process is proposed which optimizes both the sizing and the energy management strategy in the same optimization step. This optimization process together with the electricity market participation has been applied in a real case study, confirming that this procedure permits to maximize the economic profitability of this type of generation.

Submitted by Cristiane Shirayama (cristiane.shirayama@fgv.br) on 2011-05-19T17:45:31Z No. of bitstreams: 1 60090200006.pdf: 408483 bytes, checksum: 30af984f5fb81aea372a5e3985cc0df9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Gisele Isaura Hannickel(gisele.hannickel@fgv.br) on 2011-05-19T17:46:37Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 60090200006.pdf: 408483 bytes, checksum: 30af984f5fb81aea372a5e3985cc0df9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Suzinei Teles Garcia Garcia(suzinei.garcia@fgv.br) on 2011-05-19T17:47:23Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 60090200006.pdf: 408483 bytes, checksum: 30af984f5fb81aea372a5e3985cc0df9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2011-05-19T17:48:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 60090200006.pdf: 408483 bytes, checksum: 30af984f5fb81aea372a5e3985cc0df9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-04-08 / This dissertation thesis examines the environmental licensing of a hydroelectric power plant in the Amazon Basin: 'Usina Jirau.' This starting point for this case study was an allegation that the Brazilian environmental licensing process for hydroelectric power plants slows down the Brazilian development. As an initial matter, I assumed that such an argument is partially mistaken. On the one hand there may be problems in the administrative procedures and in the institutional design and functioning of the environmental agency, IBAMA; but on the other hand, the entrepreneurs did not properly consider legal environmental rules during the planning process. To test this hypothesis, I attended specific meetings on the subject, conducted interviews with key actors in the process, and researched the issues raised in different courts by a variety of litigators. I also analyzed the environmental licensing procedures extensively and some other to understand the economic argument, its variations and the proponents of such ideas. Additionally, I explain how and which hypotheses were tested in my research. In part II, I discuss the environmental licensing economic content, put the environmental documents from both state and non-state players. This paper is divided into four separate parts, and a conclusion. In part I, I explain the research problem, the context surrounding the construction of Usina Jirau as well, discuss some key players, and demonstrate how licensing rules together, and assess how the two aforementioned perspectives relate to each other. In part III, I describe the IBAMA bureaucracy functions as a means of assessing if, as a public administration, it was inefficient in licensing Usina Jirau. Thus, I describe the IBAMA authority to license such entrepreneurship, its structure and ability to provide this service, and list other administrative branches and entrepreneurs’ obligations. Lastly, I identify what were the sensitive points in the environmental licensing dynamics, which may have offered obstacles to the process. In park IV, I discuss the supposed failures in the control system of administrative duties. In conclusion, I summarize the research key points, offer some suggestions to improve the environmental licensing process and establish the distinction between inefficiency and enforcement of environmental conservational legal rules. Usina Jirau is an exemplary case of how a licensing process does not slow down the Brazilian development, and it is also a calling for Brazil to modernize and rationalize its environmental regulatory framework. / Esse é o caso do licenciamento ambiental do aproveitamento hidrelétrico Jirau, parte do Complexo Hidrelétrico do Rio Madeira. O ponto de partida da pesquisa foi a alegação de que o licenciamento ambiental de usinas hidrelétricas atrapalha o desenvolvimento brasileiro. Para enfrentar o argumento mencionado, levantei a suspeita de que o mesmo está parcialmente equivocado. Se por um lado, há problemas no procedimento administrativo do licenciamento ambiental e na estrutura e funcionamento do órgão licenciador; por outro lado, os interessados no sucesso da obra fizeram o planejamento do empreendimento sem levar em consideração exigências legais relativas ao ambiente. Para confirmar ou negar minha suspeita, fiz um levantamento dos atos do processo administrativo e das ações judiciais movidas por diferentes partes referentes ao licenciamento da UHE Jirau, conduzi entrevistas semiestruturadas com algumas pessoas envolvidas nesse processo, e consultei documentos dos órgãos estatais relacionadas ao caso, bem como documentos dos consórcios de empresas que concorreram ao leilão de geração de energia. O caminho metodológico adotado me fez dividir o trabalho em quatro capítulos e uma conclusão. No primeiro capítulo, apresento o problema da pesquisa, explico qual é o contexto da construção da UHE Jirau, e menciono os principais atores envolvidos. Também explico o funcionamento do argumento enfrentado. Por fim, explico como e quais são as hipóteses que serão testadas: hipótese da falha no sistema de controle e hipótese da ineficiência do procedimento. No segundo capítulo, trato do sentido jurídico-econômico do licenciamento ambiental, mapeio as regras que disciplinam esse instrumento de política ambiental e mostro o funcionamento da teoria e das regras na prática do licenciamento da usina Jirau. No terceiro capítulo, descrevo o funcionamento da burocracia do órgão licenciador para avaliar se o licenciamento ambiental da usina hidrelétrica Jirau foi ineficiente. Assim, descrevo as competências, a estrutura e a capacidade de atendimento do órgão licenciador, bem como as obrigações do empreendedor e demais órgãos. Por fim, identifico quais foram os pontos sensíveis da dinâmica do licenciamento ambiental que podem ter eventualmente impedido a administração de cumprir prazos legais. No quarto capítulo, busco identificar eventuais falhas no sistema de controle do processo do licenciamento ambiental da UHE Jirau a partir dos embates administrativos e judiciais que ocorreram a partir da alteração do projeto da usina após a realização do leilão, assim como das inovações processuais ocorridas no caso. O capítulo derradeiro retoma os pontos chave da pesquisa; aponta caminhos para a melhoria do licenciamento ambiental de usinas hidrelétricas no âmbito do órgão federal; e indica algumas exigências próprias da natureza das leis de conservação ambiental, as quais não devem ser confundidas com fatores de produção de ineficiência do procedimento. O caso de Jirau não pode ser acusado de criar embaraços temporais à expansão da oferta da energia necessária para o desenvolvimento brasileiro em razão de burocracia excessiva e fragilidades institucionais do órgão. O temor de criminalização dos técnicos aumentou o grau de exigências e o sistema de controle administrativo e judicial expôs à sociedade questões do licenciamento sem fazer com que o mesmo demorasse ainda mais. Palavras-chave: Usina hidrelétrica Jirau. Licenças ambientais. Direito Ambiental. Desenvolvimento Econômico.