Brazil's Biggest Bet in the Electric Sector, Belo Monte Power Plant Is Behind Schedule

02/02/2015 - 09h46

With an expected initial investment of US$ 10.7 billion in current value, the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant is dependent on stilts.

Rather, it depends on the demolition of thousands of stilt houses - to occur by the end of March -in areas to be flooded in Altamira, in the state of Pará.

Belo Monte is also the biggest business venture in Brazil's electric sector.

It will add 11,233 megawatts (MW) to Brazil's energy production (currently 133.9 thousand MW), but only in 2019.

The current capacity isn't enough to meet demand.

Folha returned to Altamira one year after the publication of the special multimedia article "A Batalha de Belo Monte" (The Battle of Belo Monte) to check on the construction of the power plant.

The Battle of Belo Monte

The construction is behind schedule, despite the 67% of construction carried out by mid-December and the relocation of the residents of the areas to be flooded at full throttle.

The first turbine of the auxiliary power unit (totaling 233 MW) should be made operational this February. Because of strikes and invasions that interrupted the work, the activation was postponed to November 2015.

Concessionaire Norte Energia S.A. (Nesa) stresses that the delay affects a low-power turbine (38.8 MW). In the main power unit (11 thousand MW) there will be no delays, says Nesa.

However, Nesa requested Aneel (National Electric Energy Agency) release it from the responsibility resulting from delays and the postponing of the schedule for generation in the two power units to 441 and 365 days later, respectively.

If the two turbines aren't active within the agreed on, between 2015 and 2019, Nesa would have to pay for the energy it doesn't produce.

The request was analyzed by attorneys as well as the agency's technical area, but a final decision by the board hasn't been made yet.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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	Lalo de Almeida/Folhapress
	The construction of the Belo Monte power plant is behind schedule