Areva to build biomass plant in Brazil

France's state-controlled nuclear power company Areva received a €33 million contract to build a biomass power plant in Brazil for Tractebel Energia, a Brazilian subsidiary of Paris-based GDF Suez.

The new 33 megawatt plant, fueled by sugarcane bagasse, will be installed by Areva Koblitz on the Andrade ethanol plant, owned by the Guarani group, in Pitangueiras, São Paulo.

Areva acquired a 70 percent stake in Brazilian biomass group Koblitz in January (see Areva grabs Brazilian biomass co.).

At the time, Areva said the management of Koblitz, a provider of integrated solutions for power generation and co-generation from renewable sources, would maintain a 30 percent stake in Koblitz. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Areva said construction work on the new plant has already begun and commissioning is scheduled for April 2010.

"Areva Koblitz built Tractebel Energia's first renewable energies plant – the 28 MW Lages bioenergy co-generation plant in Santa Catarina – and has supported Tractebel in developing its business," said Luiz Otávio Koblitz, CEO of Areva Koblitz, a Brazilian subsidiary of Areva.

Areva said Tractebel Energia generates 8 percent of Brazil's total power, with 80 percent of Tractebel Energia's installed capacity coming from renewable energy sources.

This is the first Tractebel Energia plant fuelled by sugarcane bagasse, according to Areva.