OREANDA-NEWS. On Thursday (7/11) the Parnaiba Complex was inaugurated by ENEVA. The Parnaiba Complex is one of the largest natural gas-fuelled thermoelectric power generation complexes in the country, located in Santo Antonio dos Lopes. Brazilian authorities convened for the event, including Minister of Mines and Energy Edison Lobao, representing president Dilma Rousseff and the governor of the state of marnhao Roseana Sarney. The ceremony was attended by over 350 guests.

The Paraniba Complex is unique venture for integrating gas production to power generation and it is already in operation with 845 MW installed capacity.

"This complex ensures the delivery of energy to all in Maranhao and to Brazil also", Minister Edison Lobao said. Governor Roseana Sarney is convinced that the venture has changed the state into a new energy pole. "Next year as the operation of the other plants is started, this will be the largest power generation complex in the country", she said.

The complex comprises the thermoelectric plants Parnaiba I, Parnaiba II, Parnaiba III and Parnaiba IV. Two plants are currently in operation namely, Parnaiba I (676 MW) and Parnaiba III (169 MW), which are supplying power to the National Interconnected System (SIN). In the next few months, as the operation of the remaining plants is started, the Parnaiba Complex will reach over 1.400 MW in operation.

"The Parnaiba Complex is a successful project, and Brazil needs other projects like it. Besides generating from energy for the country, the Parnaiba complex has created jobs and opportunities for the region" ENEVA CEO Eduardo Karrer emphasized.

The natural gas supplied to the plants of the Parnaiba Complex plants comes from the production wells in the Parnaiba Basin, and represent approximately 40% of the Brazilian onshore production. Today, Complex plants are consuming about 5.5 million cubic meters per day.

Just 18 months have elapsed from the beginning of the works to the start-up of the first of Complex turbines, in February of 2013. As much as 3,700 direct jobs were generated during the busiest period of the construction works. The Parnaiba Complex has licensed capacity to reach up to 3,722 MW.