Market - 04/25/2012

Brazil registers 52.1 GW in the last two energy tenders

The Brazilian Energy Research Company (EPE, for its acronym in Portuguese) has completed the registration process for the project procurement tenders of new power generation projects to be carried out in 2012.

Scheduled for June 28, the energy tender A-3 will aim to complement the market in 2015, whose first appointment was made in 2010 and has registered 27,058 MW. As for the tender A-5, which has registered 25,098 MW, the tender will be held on August 16, 2012 to meet the market needs in 2017.

After this registration stage, EPE will analyze the documentation of each project to be registered and the technical empowerment of those who meet the requirements laid down in the regulation of both tenders. The documents required are: environmental license, access to the transmission system, the certification of studies of wind (for wind projects), the Water Resources Availability Statement (for hydroelectric power and small hydropower) and the Declaration of capacity for the supply of fuel (natural gas and biomass).

At the A-3 tender, there were a total of 663 generation projects with a total installed capacity of 27,058 MW. Of these projects, most are wind farms, in particular, 583 projects that would add 14,260 MW of power. The 26 natural gas power plants represent a significant energy supply: 10,343 MW; followed by biomass power plants, with 24 projects totalling 1,094 MW; small hydro (27 projects totalling 420 MW); and 3 hydropower plants totalling 941 MW.

For its part, in order to participate in the A-5 tender, 585 projects have registered with a total installed capacity of 25,098 MW. In this case, wind power plants again represent the vast majority of the power measured with 508 registered projects totalling 12,547 MW. The natural gas heat would add 8,506 MW of capacity with 23 projects, compared to thermal biomass, with 12 projects resulting in 713 MW. There are 13 hydroelectric plants totalling 2,859 MW and 29 small hydropower plants with 473 MW, which complete the rest of the registered projects.

For Mauricio Tolmasquim, the President of EPE, the fact that this year has broken the record of companies interested in participating in the two energy tenders "confirms the success in the expansion of the electric sector".

Link to the official statement from EPE -Empresa de Pesquisa de Energía- (Portuguese version)