Brazil to build $15.6 billion in dams in Amazon Region

Captive electrical connection transmission lines
A consortium of the Brazilian companies won the auction, on December 10, 2007, to build and operate the 3,150 megawatt (MW) Santo Antonio dam on the Madeira River in the Amazon rainforest near Bolivia. The consortium won the auction by showing its commitment to sell electrical power from the dam for $43.82 per MW/hour, which is a tariff 35% lower than the highest price set by the government in the bid notice. Although the Brazilian Government expected the cost of the Santo Antorio Dam around $5.3 billion, the consortium expected to invest US $7.1 billion. The estimated US $15.6 billion Madeira River project, including two hydroelectric dams, navigation locks and captive electrical connection transmission lines connecting the dams, is the largest project in the Amazon region. It is expected that these two dams will supply 8% of the country's energy needs, these projects are the expansion of the Brazil's first large hydroelectric, Xingo dam, which was completed in 1994.