Brazil suspends auction for São Luiz do Tapajós hydropower project

Brazil has suspended the sale of rights to develop the 8GW São Luiz do Tapajós hydropower project.

According to sources no new date has been scheduled for the auction, which was expected on 15 December this year. In the auction, several companies would have competed for rights to build the project and sell up to 80% of its power to distributors in the regulated power market.

The hydroelectric dam on the Sao Luiz do Tapajos River has a total investment estimated at R$30 billion (US$12.8 billion).

The 8 GW São Luiz do Tapajós hydro project will be the largest plant in the planned 12 GW Tapajos hydroelectric complex on the Tapajos and Jamanxim rivers in the northern part of the country. The complex also involves, among others:

• Jatobá project,
• Cachoeira dos Patos project,
• Jamanxin project, and
• Cachoeira do Caí project,

According to the Energy Ministry, the consortium of companies planning the project had completed an economic and environmental impact study, however, the auction for the project was suspended due to the fact that the consortium had not fully addressed the concerns of indigenous communities.

Eletrobras, Eletronorte, constuction company Camargo Corrêa and France's EDF were among the companies involved in the process to develop the hydropower complex.

The country has auctioned several hydroelectric projects lately, such as the 11.2 GW Belo Monte dam on the Xingu River, the 3.6 GW Santo Antonio project and the 3.7 GW Jirau hydroelectric dams on the Madeira River.