VW pushes hydro-power in Brazil

Sao Paulo, Brazil — ESI-AFRICA.COM — 03 November 2010 – Volkswagen do Brasil “’ a unit of German carmaker Volkswagen AG “’ is to invest US$84.2 million (R572 million) in the construction of a small-scale hydro plant in Brazil’s southeastern Sao Paulo state.

Reporting this development here, wire services said this would be the second hydropower project of the company in Brazil. It would have an installed capacity of 25.5 MW, generated by three turbines.

The reports indicated that the new hydro plant would be launched in 2013, on the Sapucai River, between the cities Sao Joaquim da Barra and Guara. The location is near the company’s other hydropower project, PCH Celan, which was inaugurated in March, with an installed capacity of 22.68 MW.

In other news, wire services reported that the Brazilian utility sector regulator Aneel had authorised commercial operations at one of the two generator units at the 19.4-MW Figueiropolis small hydropower plant.

In a regulatory filing, Aneel okayed operations at generator unit 1, which has 9.7 MW of installed capacity.