Fonte: ANEEL

The North Energy consortium is the winning bidder of energy of the hydroelectric plant of Belo Monte, on the Xingu river, in Pará, held today (04/20) by the National Energy Agency (ANEEL). The auction, which lasted about seven minutes (from 1:20PM to 1:27PM), ended the first phase with the bid price of R$ 78 per Megawatt-hour (R$/MWh), representing a discount of 6.02% in the initial price of R$ 83 per MWh.

North Energy is a consortium formed by nine companies: Companhia Hidro Elétrica do São Francisco (CHESF), with 49,98%; Construtora Queiroz Galvão S/A, with 10.02%; Galvão Engenharia S/A, with 3.75%; Mendes Junior Trading Engenharia S/A, with 3.75%; Serveng-Civilsan S/A, with 3.75%; J Malucelli Construtora de Obras S/A, with 9.98%; Contern Construções e Comércio Ltda, with 3.75%; Cetenco Engenharia S/A, with 5%; e Gaia Energia e Participações, with 10.02%.

The other consortium participant, Belo Monte Energy, has six companies: Andrade Gutierrez Participações S/A, with 12.75%; Vale S/A, with 12.75%; Neoenergia S/A, with 12.75%; Companhia Brasileira de Aluminio, with 12.75%; Furnas S/A, with 24.5% and Eletrosul Centrais Eléctricas S/A, with 24.5%.

The group that will build the Belo Monte HPP ratified the minimum percentage of 70% required by the bidding rules for the allocation of energy to the Regulated Environment (ACR). With the allocation to the ACR, we applied a factor of low rates in the rules of the bidding, which resulted in the final price of R$ 77.97 per MWh. This energy will be prorated by 27 distributors. In addition, 10% of that energy was intended for the exclusive use of the consumer, who will join the Special Purpose Company (SPC). The remaining 20% may be marketed to other free consumers, large companies that purchase power from a generator in the Free Contracting Environment (ACL), or short-term market.

Investments – The value of planned investment for the venture, including the portion of the Regional Sustainable Development, is estimated by the Energy Research Company (EPE) at R$ 19 billion.

Cost of the auction – The estimated cost of the auction is of the order of R$ 1 million, a figure that will be apportioned among the purchasers of energy in the proportion of lots actually traded, and the winner of the auction.

Characteristics of Belo Monte HPP – Belo Monte HPP will be installed on the Xingu river, in Vitória do Xingu, Pará. The minimum installed capacity is 11,233.1 MW, the world’s third largest, after the Três Gargantas power plant, on the Yangtze River, in China, with 22,500 MW, and the binational Itaipu, located in the Paraná river on the border between Brazil and Paraguay, with the capacity to generate 14,000 MW.

Belo Monte is guaranteed physically with 4,571 MW (MWmed), which corresponds to the maximum amount of energy and power that could be used for proof of service loading or marketing contracts. The main power house (Sítio Belo Monte) has minimum installed capacity of 11,000 MW and physical security of 4,418.9 MWmed. The secondary powerhouse (Sítio Pimental) will have a capacity of 233.1 MW, with guaranteed physical MWmed 152.1. The reservoir area is 516 square kilometers (km2). Belo Monte HPP will work ‘a trickle’, i.e. no reservoir accumulation. Two types of hydraulic turbines shall be used.

Francis turbines will be in the main powerhouse, because they are suitable for slopes between 40 and 400 meters and the observed decrease in spot is 90 meters. The generating unit of the powerhouse supplement, with a drop of 11.5 meters, will Bulb turbines, suitable for smaller drops. The cost of inventory studies and feasibility studies is R$ 143.65 million (face value) to be reimbursed to companies executing (Eletronorte Eletrobras and construction companies Camargo Corrêa, Norberto Odebrecht and Andrade Gutierrez) by the winning consortium.

Network Basic Interconnection (SIN) – the main powerhouse will be connected to the National Interconnected System (SIN) at the Xingu Collecting Substation (PA) through five transmission lines of 500 kilovolts (kV), single circuit, with extension of 17 km. The secondary powerhouse will connect the Altamira Collecting Substation, with a transmission line at 230 kV single circuit, with a length of 61 km.

Start of operations – The deadline for the start of the first generation unit, the secondary powerhouse, is February 2015. The deadline for entry into operation of the last machine in the main powerhouse is January 2019. The concession contract will last 35 years.

Energy – If the Belo Monte HPP was in operation at full capacity today, the power generated by hydropower in a year would be sufficient to supply the whole country for 35 days, considering the consumption in 2009 (388,208 gigawatt-hours according to data from the EPE ). The energy to be traded in the auction is enough to supply the country for 35 months. The production is equivalent to serving 21.5 million of home consumer units, which represents almost 39% of total home consumer units in the country.

Financial compensation – The estimate of Compensation for Use of Water Resources (CFURH) to be generated by new development is R$ 174.8 million a year. The value will be apportioned at rates lawfully established among the Union, the state of Pará and the cities of Vitória do Xingu, Altamira and Brasil Novo.

Schedule – In accordance with the schedule, the winning consortium has until May 10th to submit qualification documents for the approval of the final outcome of the auction. The documents are of the legal, technical and economic-financial qualification and tax regularity. The winner will sign contracts in the regulated market (CCEAR), which will last 30 years, to generate energy for the National Interconnected System (SIN). The total amount of energy in this period is 795,000 GWh for a revenue of about R$ 62 billion. The concession and CCEAR contracts should be signed on October 28th.

Upcoming events scheduled
05/10 – Deadline for submission of documentation for qualification
05/24 – Results of the trial of the qualification
07/01 – Notice of award and approval of the auction
09/23 – Estimated date for granting of concession
09/30 – Estimated date for signature of the concession contract
10/28 – Estimated date for signing of the Energy Trading in the Regulated Environment

For more information, check the glossary and visit Belo Monte HPP hotsite, where there is available the Auction Result Report.