Fonte: ANEEL

The Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (Aneel) has approved the improvements to the Resolution no. 395/1998, which deals with procedures for registration, selection, elaboration, acceptance and grant of authorizations of small hydroelectric centrals (PCHs). The new resolution, approved yesterday (12/09) in a directorship meeting, will be soon published in the Brazilian Official Press (DOU).

The new rules seek the optimization and simplification of the PCHs granting process, with regards to the adequate utilization of the hydraulic potential and the preservation of the equality and transparency principles, with the objective of better meeting the increasing demand of new PCH projects.

In the registration stage, the deposit of a financial guarantee is now required, in order to grant a greater financial responsibility, so as to provide the applicant with greater responsibility regarding the project’s effective development. The modalities and specifications for the allocation of this registration guarantee will be made available at the Agency’s website (www.aneel.gov.br).

Among the new determination, it is worth noting the period limitation for delivery of the basic project to Aneel, fixed in 14 months after publication of the corresponding order or the 1^st active registration order in cases in which there are more than one interested party, besides other periods established throughout the process in order to put the implementation of the undertaking into effect. With such restrictions, we expect to restrict delay in the development of those studies so as to favor the offering increase in this generation source.

In the selection stage, the new regulation fixes criteria for selection and hierarchization of those interested, ruled by the intention of favoring the undertaker whose project is in conditions to obtain the Agency’s acceptance, with respect also to the priority quota established as an encouragement the author of the corresponding inventory studies, limited to 40% of the identified potential. Finally, the criteria also consider the owner of the largest area to be affected by the approached credits source, with documentation duly registered up to 14 months after the settlement of the registration as an active.

The approved improvements also encompass the basic project analysis processes and the corresponding authorization grant, which must be preceded by the environmental license and the hydric availability reserve statement. The minutes of the resolution about these improvements may be consulted here. The technical note and all documentation relating to this process are available at the link Audiências/Consultas/Fórum of the website www.aneel.gov.br.