Brazilian regulator gives nod to bidding rules for auction A-4 including solar

Brazil’s energy regulator ANEEL has approved the bidding rules for the power auction Nº 04/2017.

Through the auction, the Brazilian government intends to contract power from new hydroelectric, wind, solar, thermoelectric and biomass large-scale plants. Projects selected in the auction must start delivering power on January 1, 2021.

In mid-September, the Empresa de Pesquisa Energética (EPE), which is controlled by the country’s Ministry of Energy and Mines (MME), announced that 1,676 projects have been preselected for the auction. According to the agency, the PV plants registered for the contest number 550 and have a potential combined installed capacity of 18,000 MW. Only a portion of this capacity, however, will ultimately be contracted when the auction is completed.

EPE said that, as of the close of registration, it began to analyze the documentation to identify those projects that are able to be technically qualified and participate effectively in the auction. “Based on the current schedule, the analysis will take place until November 16, when the offices of disqualification will be issued and the period for the presentation of possible administrative appeals will begin,” said the EPE.

The A-4 auction, which will be held on December 18, will be the fourth to be held at a national level that includes solar. In the three auctions held by the EPE between 2014 and 2015, around 3 GW of large-scale PV capacity was allocated. According to ABSOLAR, approximately 850 MW of PV power plants selected in these auctions will be operational by the end of 2017.

The auction planned for 2016 was initially postponed from July to December, and then cancelled at the last minute.