Aneel Hydro Project Data Room Attracts 79

Seventy-nine companies visited the data room of Brazil's electricity regulator Aneel by October 27 to obtain information on 11 hydroelectric projects up for auction November 30 on the Rio de Janeiro stock exchange, an Aneel source told BNamericas.com. Among the 79 are a number of large international power companies, "which confirms the interest of foreign investors in spending money in Brazil, and participating in the tender to build these projects and operate them for 35 years," the source said. Reports that Aneel is offering the projects without their respective environmental licenses are incorrect, the source added. "Aneel managed the process and is tendering the projects within the law. The environmental licenses have already been granted, and each company or consortium that acquires a project has to later request the license for the installation of the hydroelectric plant." The 11 projects, grouped into eight locations, are: 1. The R$577.9mn (US$311mn) Capim Branco complex of Capim Branco I (240MW) and Capim Branco II (210 MW), on the river Araguari, Minas Gerais state. 2. The R$493.4mn (US$265.5mn) Rio das Antas complex of Monte Claro (130MW), 14 de Julho (130MW) and Castro Alves (100MW), on the river das Antas, Rio Grande do Sul state. 3. The R$288.3mn (US$155mn) 195MW Itaocara project on the river Paraiba do Sul, Rio de Janeiro state. 4. The R$638.6mn (US$343mn) 150MW Bocaina project on the river Paranaiba, on the Goias-Minas Gerais border. 5. The R$161.8mn (US$87mn) 120MW Murta project on the river Jequitinhonha, Minas Gerais state. 6. The R$72mn (US$38.7mn) 50MW Picada project on the river Peixe, Minas Gerais state. 7. The R$56.4mn (US$30.3mn) 39MW Barra do Brauna project on the river Pomba, Minas Gerais state. 8. The R$82.2mn (US$44.2mn) 32MW Espora project on the river Corrente, Goias state. By staff reporter Alejandro Tumayan