The company, which is a subsidiary of Energias de Portugal, built Sao Joao near Castelo, in Espirito Santo state, for an investment of R$90M (US$51M). The plant has an installed capacity of 25MW and assured power of 14.1MW, and the output has been contracted to local distributor Escelsa.
Commissioning of the plant brings the total installed capacity of the company’s assets to just over 1GW. Energias do Brasil has a number of studies underway to develop small hydro plants with potential installed capacities of 330.5MW. The feasibility studies were autirised earlier this year by the national electricity regulator Aneel.
The firm has launched construction of the Santa Fe hydro project near Alegre, also in Espirito Santo, which will have an installed capacity of 29MW and firm power of 16MW. The project is scheduled to be commissioned in early 2009.
The investment budget for the Santa Fe project is R$120M (US$68M) and is partly funded through a loan from the Brazilian federal development bank BNDES.
Last year the company completed the 452MW Peixe Angical hydro plant in Brazil.
