Price falls in second Brazilian renewables auction

BRAZIL: Brazil's national electricity clearinghouse Câmara de Comercialização de Energia Elétrica (CCEE), has handed out 50 projects with a total capacity of 643.9MW in the country's second renewables auction.

The 25MW Paracuru wind farm in Ceara, Brazil went online in 2008

The first auction in December was also viewed as a key landmark for large global manufacturers such as Vestas and GE to establish manufacturing operations in the country.

The auction to supply energy from January 2013 onwards --with wind projects taking the largest share ahead of small hydroelectric and biomass projects.

Yesterday’s auction saw an average price of BRL134.2 ($72) MW per hour, which is below the average price at the last auction of BRL148.3MWh.

Projects that bid to sell energy for the lowest price from the original ceiling of BRL167MW per hour were the biggest winners at the auction.

Spanish company Iberdrola picked up the largest amount of energy contracted at the auction with 109.5MW from nine wind projects. The price sold varied between BRL132.8 MW per hour and BRL137.9MW per hour, local news service Estado reported.

In runner up position, Asa Branca sold 108.3MW of wind energy from eight projects.

Wind projects Costas Branca and Pedra Petra sold energy for the lowest price in the auction at BRL130.43MW per hour, Estado reported.

Wind companies see the auction as essential to secure long-term projects to supply energy and vital for Brazil's fledgling wind industry.