OREANDA-NEWS. August 19, 2011. With over BRL6.5 billion contracted in yesterday’s Aneel (National Power Agency) energy auction, MPX is now one of the leading private sector investors of the Brazilian energy sector. The amount represents contracting 500 MW installed capacity  combined cycle natural gas plant  for a period of 20 years. The plant will be built in the municipality of Santo Antonio dos Lopes, inland in the state of Maranhao. “The successful participation in the auction and the acquisition of two plants have increased MPX portfolio of ventures by 77%, going from 1080 MW to 1906 MW. In 2014, just from this investment our annual revenue will reach BRL1.3 billion”, MPX CEO Eduardo Karrer said. MPX intends to invest BRL1.1 billion in the construction of the plant negotiated at the auction, generating 1000 direct and 3000 indirect jobs. When the ventures acquired from Bertin and approved this week are added, MPX is consolidating the sale of 1180 MW generated at the complex in which MPX owns a 70% interest and Petra Energia 30%.

MPX has already executed the construction contract with Initec and will order plant turbines from GE. The plant construction works are scheduled to start in a just a few weeks. The plants purchased from Bertin will be built by construction company Duro Felguera and the same GE turbines will be used. The required natural gas will come from the onshore blocks in the Parnaiba Basin, with resources estimated to add up to over 11 trillion cubic feet, of which MPX owns a 23% share. OGX Maranhao will be the operator of these blocks and has already applied before the National Oil Gas and Biofuel Agency (ANP) for a statement of commerciality for production 5.7 million cubic feet per day. “We are implementing the integrated natural gas production and power generation project, with significant synergy.  This evidences the power MPX and the EBX Group have to generate wealth. The project was launched less than two years ago and a spectacular business platform has already been established”, Karrer commented. MPX CEO underlined the exceptional natural gas production potential evidenced in these seven blocks, which will be enough to meet the needs of the thermoelectric power plants and will help to attract gas consumer establishments to the region.

At the Paraniba thermoelectric complex MPX owns 3722 MW in natural gas-fired thermoelectric plants that are already licensed. Out of this total, 500 MW were negotiated at today’s auction, and another 680 MW, purchased from Bertin, were traded at the  A-5 auction, in 2008. As a result, MPX intends to invest BRL2.1 billion in the establishment of a large power generation complex inland in the state of Maranhao. “MPX is consolidating a 1906 MW portfolio of projects that will be in operation by 2014. We own more than 11400 MW that have already been licensed to contract in new plants in Brazil and Chile. We will be the best and the largest private sector power generation company in Brazil”, MPX CEO emphasized.