Unlocking Hydrokinetic Energy in the Brazilian Amazon: A Statistical Resource Assessment and Economic Feasibility Analysis

ABSTRACT Developing renewable energy is essential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel depletion. Hydrokinetic energy, although currently underutilized, offers substantial potential in Brazil, particularly in the northern region. This study evaluates the energy potential and economic feasibility of hydrokinetic systems in this area using historical hydrological data from 30 fluviometric stations. The total energy across these cross‐sections was calculated using both empirical and Weibull velocity distributions. Results indicate that the empirical distribution aligned well with the Weibull estimates, showing discrepancies of less than 5% in energy yields for at least 65% of the analyzed sites. Furthermore, adopting an energy price comparable to isolated diesel‐based generation would render 24 of the studied locations economically viable, unlocking an estimated generation potential of 10 GWh/year.