MPX Itaqui power project
{{#badges:CoalSwarm|Navbar-Brazilcoal}}The MPX Itaqui power project is a 360-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power station operated by Eneva (formerly MPX Energia) in São Luís de Maranhão, Brazil. Originally known as UTE Termomaranhão, the plant now goes by the official name UTE Itaqui or UTE Porto do Itaqui. (Note that the Platts database of proposed coal plants still lists this project under the alternative names Maranhão EDB 1 and Maranhão São Luís.)[1]
Contents
Location
The photo below the project in São Luís de Maranhão.
Background
Diferencial Energia, original developer of the Itaqui project, sold generation rights in March 2007 to Brazilian power holding company EDB [2], which in turn established a 50-50 partnership with Brazilian mining company MPX Mineração e Energia. MPX bought EDB's stake and assumed 100% ownership shortly after Brazil's October 2007 A-5 energy auction, in which the Itaqui plant won a contract to produce an annual average of 315 MW of power over a 15-year period.[3] In October 2012, the government environmental agency IBAMA (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente) granted the plant its operating license[4], and in February 2013 the electrical agency ANEEL (Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica) authorized the plant to begin commercial operations, with an installed capacity of 360 MW. [5]
Environmental impact
In mid-2016, the Federal Public Prosecutor's office for Maranhão state accused the Brazilian environmental agency Ibama of having significantly and inappropriately raised emissions limits for the Itaqui plant after the plant repeatedly released excessive levels of sulphur dioxide and other pollutants. Citing dangers to public health resulting from Ibama's tripling of the emissions limits, the Public Prosector's office called for the plant's license to be suspended or modified to bring emissions back into compliance with levels established in the plant's original Environmental Impact Assessment. A spokesperson for plant owner Eneva denied the Public Prosecutor's charges.[6]
Project Details
- Sponsor: Eneva
- Parent company: MPX Energia SA, E.ON
- Location: São Luís de Maranhão, Brazil
- Coordinates: -2.5873124, -44.3383527 (exact)
- Status: Operating
- Gross Capacity: 360 MW
- Type: Subcritical
- In service: 2013
- Coal Type:
- Coal Source:
- Source of financing:
Articles and resources
References
- ↑ "World Electric Power Plants Database,", Platts, December 2014. The database is not available online but can be purchased from Platts.
- ↑ "EDB buys Maranhão project generation rights,", Business News Americas, April 11, 2007.
- ↑ "EDB sells stake in Maranhão thermo project,", Business News Americas, October 17, 2007.
- ↑ "UTE Itaqui obtém licença de operação emitida pelo Ibama,", Eneva media release, October 29, 2012.
- ↑ "UTE Itaqui, da MPX, inicia operação comercial,", Eneva media release, February 5, 2013.
- ↑ "MPF-MA quer que usina do Porto do Itaqui reduza emissão de poluentes,", Rede Globo, July 7, 2016.
