• For the A-6 New Energy Auction in Brazil, EPE has technically qualified 80% of the registered capacity
  • Largest capacity has been qualified for solar PV technology with 24.75 GW while maximum number of wind power projects have been cleared
  • Benchmark tariff for all the technologies remains unchanged with BRL 209 per MWh fixed for solar PV

In June 2019, Brazilian Energy Research Company (EPE) made news when it registered 1,829 projects for its New Energy Auction A-6 representing total bids of 100.874 GW, which it said was the largest ever registered capacity for energy auctions (see Over 100 GW Bids For Brazil’s A-6 Oct 2019 Auction).

In the technical qualification round, EPE has approved 80% of the total projects with the number now down to 1,541 of qualified projects accounting for 71.39 GW capacity. Out of the registered solar project capacity, 685 projects with 24.75 GW have been qualified making it the technology with the largest approved share followed by wind power technology with 760 projects representing 22.55 GW. Wind has the largest number of projects qualified under the auction.

Natural gas comes next with 26 projects or 21.58 GW capacity qualified. Approved capacity for other participating technologies is 940 MW for coal, 828 MW for biomass, 586.8 MW for small hydroelectric plants (SHP), 127.5 MW for hydroelectric plants (HPP), and 18.1 MW for hydroelectric power plants (CGH). Details about the projects and their location are available on EPE website.

The ceiling tariff limits announced previously for all the technologies remain unchanged with that for solar being BRL 209 ($51.16) per MWh (see Brazil Contracts 476.2 MW Solar & Wind Power). October 18, 2019 is when the auction is scheduled to take place.