A Decade of Progress: How Santo Antônio Achieved Gold in Sustainable Hydropower
Brazil’s Santo Antônio Hydropower Project on the Madeira River in Rondônia State has been awarded Gold certification under the Hydropower Sustainability Standard (HSS), marking a major milestone after the project successfully closed gaps identified in an earlier sustainability assessment.
With an installed capacity of 3,568 MW, Santo Antônio is one of the largest hydropower plants in Latin America. Owned by Santo Antônio Energia and Axia Energia, the project plays a critical role in Brazil’s renewable energy mix, supplying electricity to millions of people while supporting regional development and long-term environmental management.
An earlier assessment carried out in 2014 using a predecessor to the HSS identified sustainability performance gaps, particularly in relation to Indigenous Peoples and resettlement. Since then, Santo Antônio Energia has implemented a series of measures to strengthen social and environmental management and address these challenges.
The latest HSS assessment highlights progress across several areas. The project has delivered fair compensation and benefits to affected communities, ensured safe and equitable working conditions and invested in biodiversity conservation programmes. Monitoring data shows that water quality and sediment levels have remained stable, while cultural heritage sites have been preserved.
With this result, Santo Antônio becomes the third hydropower project in Brazil to achieve certification under the HSS, reinforcing the growing role of internationally recognised sustainability standards in the country’s hydropower sector.
As an International Hydropower Association (IHA) member and co-owner of the project, Axia Energia views the certification as both a validation of progress made at Santo Antônio and a reference point for future large-scale developments.
Axia Energia reflects on the significance of the Gold certification and the lessons learned along the way in the following interview:
Gold certification under the Hydropower Sustainability Standard is a significant achievement. From Axia Energia’s perspective, what does this recognition mean for the Santo Antônio project and for your organisation more broadly?
For Axia Energia, achieving Gold certification under the Hydropower Sustainability Standard is a landmark that catalyses our legacy of operationalising large-scale projects aligned with social and environmental objectives. At Santo Antônio, this recognition validates that sustainability is not only a strategic vision but a concrete management practice. More broadly, it reinforces Axia Energia’s capability of delivering complex infrastructure that is economically viable, socially inclusive and environmentally responsible; consolidating our long-term legacy in sustainable energy.
The project addressed complex gaps related to Indigenous Peoples and resettlement following earlier assessments. What were the most important lessons learned through this process, and how have they shaped Axia Energia’s approach to sustainability going forward?
A key lesson from this process was the importance of sustained dialogue and continuous presence in the territories affected by the project. Strengthening relationships with Indigenous Peoples, local communities and public authorities required patience, listening and adaptability, as well as respect for different perspectives and expectations. These experiences have reinforced Axia Energia’s understanding that social management is an ongoing commitment. This process acts as a catalyst for our legacy, embedding dialogue and adaptive management into our sustainability approach and ensuring that future projects continue to align scale with social and environmental priorities.
Santo Antônio is one of the largest hydropower projects in Latin America. How does achieving HSS Gold influence the role this project plays in demonstrating what sustainable, large-scale hydropower can look like in South America?
Achieving HSS Gold at Santo Antônio, particularly within the Amazon region, contributes to demonstrating that large‑scale hydropower projects can progressively align their operations with internationally recognised sustainability standards. It demonstrates that large-scale energy generation can coexist with biodiversity protection and social responsibility, even in complex contexts. In this sense, Santo Antônio offers practical experience that can help inform broader discussions in South America about how hydropower projects can seek continuous improvement and responsible operation over time.
Looking ahead, how do you see Santo Antônio’s Gold certification influencing future hydropower development in Brazil and the wider region, particularly in terms of setting expectations for sustainability performance?
Santo Antônio’s Gold certification may serve as a constructive reference for future hydropower projects in Brazil and across the region. It reinforces expectations that social and environmental performance should be addressed throughout the operational life of a project, alongside technical and economic considerations. The experience demonstrates that improvements are achievable when sustainability is approached as an ongoing process supported by strong governance, environmental stewardship and social engagement. In this way, the certification contributes to setting higher standards for sustainability performance, while acknowledging that responsible hydropower development depends on continuous effort and collaboration. This experience acts as a catalyst for Axia Energia’s legacy in the development, construction and operation of large‑scale hydropower projects, translating accumulated knowledge into a benchmark that can inform and strengthen future generations of sustainable energy infrastructure in the region.
