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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Today's News Headlines
* Belo Monte final license due by February - ministry - Brazil
* Odebrecht, Camargo Corrêa to join for Belo Monte bid - Brazil
* JPS aims to begin wind park operations in September - Jamaica
* Roundup: Renewables, regulatory plans, software - Regional
* New hydro projects to be included in PAC 2 program - Brazil
* Schwager biogas plant gets environmental green light - Chile
* Essa picks up negative outlook on gas transport conflict - Chile
* December output up 7.2% to 2.94TWh - Peru
* Fitch takes Gener off rating watch, Campiche restart "likely" - Chile
* Officials inaugurate ethanol-fired thermo - Brazil
* Study for Goldfields' hydro project due in Q2 - Guyana
* Watchdog pulls Santa Fe Energy wind project license - Panama
* IN BRIEF Ande declares sector emergency - Paraguay
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* Belo Monte final license due by February - ministry - Brazil
The final license for the 11.3GW Belo Monte hydro plant will be issued by Brazilian environment regulator Ibama by February, a spokesperson at Brazil's environment ministry told BNamericas, confirming local reports.
"The licensing process is now in its final stages. In a couple of weeks it will be finalized," the spokesperson said.
The Belo Monte hydro plant will be built on the Xingu river in the Amazonian state of Pará. It is the main project of Brazil's federal infrastructure program known as PAC.
Ibama's environmental license has to be issued in order for the government to hold an auction for the construction of the plant.
Belo Monte is set to cost 16bn reais (US$9.3bn), according to a statement released by the Brazilian association of infrastructure and basic industries (Abdib) in September last year.
Belo Monte will be Brazil's second largest hydro dam after the 14GW Itaipu plant shared with Paraguay.
By João Carvalho
Business News Americas
* Odebrecht, Camargo Corrêa to join for Belo Monte bid - Brazil
Brazilian construction groups Odebrecht and Camargo Corrêa are negotiating with a third investor that will close the lineup of a consortium to bid for Brazil's 11.3GW Belo Monte hydro plant, a spokesperson for Odebrecht told BNamericas.
"Odebrecht has teamed up with Camargo Corrêa for the tender. We are now closing a deal with another investor that cannot be named to finalize our consortium," the spokesperson said.
According to local reports, Odebrecht and Camargo have been holding talks with different Brazilian companies and pension funds to discuss the matter.
Belo Monte will be built in Brazil's northern state of Pará. The plant will be the world's third largest hydro when build.
Belo Monte is expected to begin operations in 2015.
By João Carvalho
Business News Americas
* JPS aims to begin wind park operations in September - Jamaica
Jamaican power utility JPS in September aims to begin operations of the Munro wind power generation project, a company spokesperson told BNamericas.
The US$9mn wind farm entails the installation of four, 750kW turbines at a 14ha site in St Elizabeth parish. The average elevation is 678m and average wind speed at 50m elevation is 8.7m/s.
JPS will present the project EIA at a public meeting on February 4. Turbine suppliers have been identified, said the official.
The wind farm would supply the national grid for an initial 20-year period, with annual production pegged at 10.2GWh after 10% losses, according to the EIA.
The project falls in line with the government's policy to reduce the country's dependence on imported fossil fuels.
JPS is the country's sole electricity retailer serving 570,000 customers under an all-island license granted in 2001.
By David Casallas
Business News Americas
* Roundup: Renewables, regulatory plans, software - Regional
State-run Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica and the University of the West Indies will carry out a three-year study of renewable energy options, government information service JIS reported.
PCJ and IDB will fund the US$1mn work which will entail wind resource assessment; assessment and improvement of the Wigton wind farm; and a feasibility study of a 1MW solar project in Portmore, St Catherine parish.
***
Researchers at Mexico's Baja California autonomous university (UABC) are carrying out studies to evaluate the potential of building a waste-to-energy plant at the Ensenada city landfill, Dr. Carolina Armijo de Vega told BNamericas.
The studies are currently in their first phase, which involves establishing how much methane gas is generated at the site. Preliminary results show the landfill has the potential for a small waste-to-energy project, according to Armijo.
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Jamaica's Office of Utilities Regulation announced it is accepting public comment on its 2010-13 draft corporate plan.
Power sector goals include establishing the basis for lowering electricity cost in real terms over the next 15 years, creating and enforcing a system of incentives to reduce losses, and increasing oversight of utility JPS and other license holders.
For the 78-page document, go to this link (http://www.our.org.jm/images/stories/content/AllSectors/OUR PLAN 2010-2013 final.pdf)
***
And Ecuador's power regulator Conelec reported it continues to advance in the implementation of data software system SISDAT which aims to consolidate and make sector information available at one source.
The latest development was the completion of training for generators on Monday; distributors underwent the training in November.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* New hydro projects to be included in PAC 2 program - Brazil
The Brazilian government plans to include in the second round of its PAC growth acceleration program (PAC 2) projects for hydroelectric plants that have not yet been tendered nor will be in 2010.
A source in the government's energy ministry told Agência Estado that among the programs to be included in PAC 2 are the hydroelectric plants in Rio Tapajós complex in Pará state.
Plans have been made for five plants at the site with an installed capacity of 10.6GW. The projects include São Luiz do Tapajós (6.1GW), Jatobá (2.3GW), Cachoeira dos Patos (528MW), Jamanxin (881MW) and Cachoeriro do Caí (802MW).
The source said the other plants to be included in PAC 2 will be decided at a ministry meeting on January 21.
http://www.aebrazil.comAgência Estado
* Schwager biogas plant gets environmental green light - Chile
Chile's Valparaíso regional environmental regulator Corema has approved an EIA for the construction of a biogas plant set for the Quilpué municipality of central region V, according to a document filed with securities regulator SVS.
Chilean company Schwager Biogas in October submitted the EIA to national environmental authority Conama.
Investments in the plant are set to hit US$14mn, according to the EIA.
Construction is slated to begin in early 2010 with operations due to start in 2011, BNamericas reported previously.
The biogas will be produced from a mixture of local plant species and organic waste from nearby chicken farms.
The environmental approval enables Schwager Biogas to register the plant as a CDM project, according to the SVS document.
The plant will have a production capacity of 4.7Mm3/y of biomethane, enough to generate 2.3MW of power. Natural gas distributor GasValpo will transport the gas to the nearby Ventanas mine owned by Chile's state copper company Codelco, according to the EIA.
Schwager Energy has a 60% stake in Schwager Biogas, while British investment fund Climate Change Capitol Carbon Fund II holds the balance.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Essa picks up negative outlook on gas transport conflict - Chile
Fitch has assigned a negative outlook to Chilean thermo generator Essa's BBB+(cl) rating.
The outlook reflects uncertainty over future support from parent AES Gener, and a pending resolution to a conflict Essa has with natural gas transporters, the ratings agency said in a report.
Essa operates the 379MW Nueva Renca combined cycle plant and 100MW diesel-fired Renca plant, both in capital Santiago's metropolitan region.
These plants, however, would convert to backup units when Gener's Nueva Ventanas and Campiche thermo projects come online, according to the agency.
For Fitch's report, in Spanish, go to this link (http://www.bnamericas.com/research_detalle.jsp?idioma=E&documento=1012183&id_sector=0)
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* December output up 7.2% to 2.94TWh - Peru
December power output in Peru rose 7.2% to 2.94TWh compared to the year-ago month, according to an energy and mines ministry report.
Sales to final clients in December grew 7% to 2.4TWh, and maximum demand rose 2.9% to 4.32GW.
Production last year totaled 32.7TWh, up 0.8% from 2008, and sales to final clients rose 1.1% to 27.3TWh, added the report.
Edegel led generation in the month with 644GWh, followed by Electroperú with 642GWh and Energía del Sur with 371GWh.
In December, 67% of power came from hydro, followed by natural gas (28%), coal (3%) and diesel (2%).
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Fitch takes Gener off rating watch, Campiche restart "likely" - Chile
Fitch has taken Chilean generator AES Gener's bond ratings off rating watch negative and assigned stable outlooks.
The action affects roughly US$817mn of local and international bonds, the ratings agency said in a report.
"The removal of the rating watch negative status reflects the easing of near-term financial pressures and the mitigation efforts associated with the suspension of the Campiche project that could have adversely affected Gener's investment grade ratings," according to Fitch.
It is "likely" Campiche's construction will resume due to the project's strategic energy importance, said the agency, adding, however, the timing remains uncertain.
For Fitch's report, go to this link (http://www.bnamericas.com/research_detalle.jsp?idioma=I&documento=1012188&id_sector=0)
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Officials inaugurate ethanol-fired thermo - Brazil
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and mines and energy minister Edison Lobão inaugurated the world's first ethanol-fired thermo plant on January 19.
The UTE Juiz de Fora plant is located in Brazil's southeastern state of Minas Gerais.
The plant had been operating with natural gas until late 2009, when one of its turbines was adapted to also run on ethanol, according to a government statement.
The thermo has an installed capacity of 87MW and was developed by a JV between Brazilian state-run energy group Petrobras (NYSE: PBR) and General Electric (NYSE: GE).
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Study for Goldfields' hydro project due in Q2 - Guyana
The feasibility study for Toronto-based minerals company Guyana Goldfields' (TSX-V: GUY) hydroelectric project in Guyana is due next quarter.
The project entails a 40MW run-of-the-river plant, according to a company presentation.
The study had been due this quarter with capacity pegged at 25MW-plus, BNamericas reported previously. IFC, which owns 4.7% of Guyana Goldfields, is footing 50% of the study's cost.
MWH Engineering is carrying out the study for the plant which is part of Goldfields' Aurora gold project. A potential hydro site is 7km from the gold deposit.
Development of the gold project could begin in 3Q10 and output two years later.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Watchdog pulls Santa Fe Energy wind project license - Panama
Panama's public services regulator Asep has cancelled company Santa Fe Energy's provisional license for an 81MW wind project in Veraguas province.
The license was cancelled in accordance with the resolution that outlines the procedure for awarding hydro and geothermal generation concessions, the watchdog said in a statement.
Although Asep did not give a specific reason for the cancellation, the majority stem from the failure of developers to submit project documents and/or implementation timetables.
In August, the regulator extended the license to allow the company to submit an authenticated copy of the EIS approval resolution from national environment authority Anam and a statement from state transmission company Etesa or the distributor granting the project's connection, among other documents.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* IN BRIEF Ande declares sector emergency - Paraguay
Germán Fatecha, the head of Paraguay's state power company Ande, on Tuesday declared an emergency in the power sector to directly procure equipment, materials and services to improve supply.
Fatecha also announced he will ask Itaipu Binacional, which operates the Itaipu hydroelectric dam on the border with Brazil, to advance development of the 500kV Itaipú-Villa Hayes transmission project.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
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In-deph interview
* Latin America still full of opportunities
Pablo Moysam
Corporate commercial manager
Santos CMI
Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Regional
http://www.bnamericas.com/interviews/electricpower/Pablo_Moysam_,Santos_CMI,/170693695
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Main companies covered in today's news
* Duke Energy Corporation
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Duke_Energy_Corporation-Duke_Energy/170693695
* EnerSur S.A.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/EnerSur_S,A,-EnerSur/170693695
* Construtora Norberto Odebrecht S.A.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Construtora_Norberto_Odebrecht_S,A,-CNO/170693695
* GasValpo S.A.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/GasValpo_S,A,-GasValpo/170693695
* LAGEO S.A. de C.V.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/LAGEO_S,A,_de_C,V,-LaGeo/170693695
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