Usitesc power station

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{{#badges:CoalSwarm|Navbar-Brazilcoal}}Usitesc (Usina Termelétrica de Santa Catarina) is a proposed 340-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in Treviso, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Location

The map below shows Treviso, the approximate location where the plant would be built.

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Background

Coal energy projects have long been a subject of conflict between environmentalists and the business community in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina.[1] Economic viability studies for the Usitesc plant began in 1999, although an environmental license was not granted until March 2010.[2]

The plant's original projected capacity of 440MW was reduced to 300MW in advance of Brazil's A-5 energy auction in August 2013.[3] The government agency EPE (Empresa de Pesquisa Energética) declared Usitesc ineligible for the August auction due to insufficient documentation [4], but approved it for participation in the December 2013 auction. Usitesc ultimately opted out of the December 2013 auction due to the unviably low ceiling price per KWh offered[5], but rising energy prices encouraged it to participate in the November 2014 auction. After falling short in its 2014 bid[6], the plant registered for Brazil's next national energy auction on April 30, 2015[7][8] but was passed over in favor of natural gas- and biomass-fueled plants.[9]

In March 2016, Usitesc was once again scheduled to participate in Brazil's A-5 energy auction[10], but lost out to competing power projects fueled by wind, hydro, natural gas and biomass.[11] Despite this setback, Brazilian Coal Association president Fernando Zancan continued to lobby state and national leaders on behalf of the Usitesc project, and reportedly remained hopeful that the project would succeed at Brazil's 2017 energy auction, allowing construction to begin in 2018.[12][13]

Brazil's A-6 energy auction, held in December 2017, was open to coal-fired power plants,[14] and Usitesc - now listed as a 340MW project - was included on the government's official list of participants,[15] but the company's bid was once again unsuccessful.[16]

The plant was not included in the October 2019 A-6 energy auction. With no progress in more than four years the project appears to be cancelled.

Project Details

  • Sponsor: Carbonifera Metropolitana, Carbonífera Criciúma
  • Parent company:
  • Location: Treviso, Santa Catarina, Brazil
  • Coordinates: -28.516667, -49.466667 (approximate)
  • Status: Cancelled
  • Gross Capacity: 340 MW
  • Type: Circulating fluidized bed
  • Projected in service:
  • Coal Type:
  • Coal Source:
  • Source of financing: SDEPCI (China)[17]

Articles and resources

References

  1. "Coal mining pollution, Santa Catarina, Brazil,", Environmental Justice Atlas, accessed April 2014.
  2. "Licença Ambiental da Usitesc é entregue,", SATC, March 2010.
  3. "Projeto de usina em Santa Catarina vai participar do próximo leilão no país,", Diário Catarinense, July 2013.
  4. "Usina termelétrica de Treviso, no Sul do Estado, fica de fora de leilão,", Notícias do Dia, August 2013.
  5. "Usitesc é habilitada, mas deve ficar de fora do leilão de energia,", A Tribuna, December 2013.
  6. "Usitesc não é contratada no Leilão de Energia “A-5”,", Portal Veneza, November 29, 2014.
  7. "Leilão A-5 2015 cadastra 19.826 MW em novos projetos de energia,", EPE, February 5, 2015.
  8. [http://www.aneel.gov.br/aplicacoes/editais_geracao/documentos/REH_1868_2015.pdf "RESOLUÇÃO HOMOLOGATÓRIA Nº 1868,"], ANEEL, March 30, 2015.
  9. "Leilão A-5 contrata 14 usinas e garante investimentos de R$6 bi no país,", EPE, April 30, 2015.
  10. "Indústria do carvão deve ter queda de 20% em 2016,", Engeplus, January 4, 2016.
  11. "Resultado do Leilão A-5 de 2016 é homologado parcialmente,", ANEEL, June 28, 2016.
  12. "Raimundo Colombo discute a implantação da política industrial do carvão mineral,", Governo de Santa Catarina, October 24, 2016.
  13. "A expectativa pelo início da construção da Usitesc,", Karina Manarin, October 25, 2016.
  14. "Projetos a carvão são confirmados em leilão,", Jornal do Comércio, August 8, 2017
  15. "Edital de leilão A-6 entra em audiência pública,", Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica, October 3, 2017.
  16. "Usitesc não é selecionada em leilão de energia,", A Tribuna, December 21, 2017
  17. "China stokes global coal growth," Third Pole, Sep 23, 2016

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External resources