Thermoelectric Plant in Goiás Shut Down for 5 Years Receives Over R$ 100 Million Paid by Consumers’ Pockets Despite Not Providing Energy!

Even When Shutdown, That Is, Not Supplying Energy, The Thermoelectric Plant in Anápolis Receives R$ 1.3 Million Per Month Paid by Consumers!

For nearly five years, the Daia thermoelectric plant, located in the Agroindustrial District of Anápolis, in central Goiás, has been receiving R$ 1.3 million monthly from consumers even without generating energy. Fueled by diesel, the unit won an energy auction in 2005 and received a contract from January 2008 to December 2022.

The Daia thermoelectric plant belongs to the company Usina Termelétrica de Anápolis Sociedade Anônima. According to a report by Estadão, the plant received over R$ 100 million in recent years and has also accumulated over R$ 80 million in fines, even though the contract is ending this month.

Furthermore, according to information gathered by O Estado de S. Paulo, it was guaranteed in court through provisional measures in 2017 and 2020 that the company could maintain the contracts and, therefore, receive the fixed revenue, meaning the plant has the right to receive a fixed income, paid even when shutdown, and a variable and additional portion when called to meet the country’s energy demand.

Diesel-Powered Plant Was One of the Winners of the First New Energy Auction in 2005

The diesel-powered plant was one of the winners of the first new energy auction in 2005. At that time, the facility was already completed and had been contracted previously for three years.

The new contract stipulated that the company would supply energy for 15 years, from January 2008 to December 2022. However, generation stopped in October 2017.

The National Electric System Operator (ONS) ordered the plant to operate for at least five months in the last two years, but the order was not complied with.

It is worth noting that even when shut down and not supplying energy to the population, the monthly revenue of the plant in 2022 is R$ 1.3 million. From January 2013 to September 2021, the plant received R$ 109.3 million from consumers.

UTE Daia Receives Fixed Revenue Values and Does Not Pay R$ 82.8 Million in Fines for Not Meeting Electricity Generation Commitments.

UTE filed for bankruptcy protection in 2012, which led to a legal battle due to the injunctions the company received. Thus, the thermoelectric plant receives the fixed revenue amounts and does not pay the R$ 82.8 million in fines for not fulfilling electricity generation commitments.

According to a managing partner of the plant, there was an error by the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) in the contract. Therefore, the plant would have generated energy for years with insufficient resources, leading to a series of debts and resulting in the bankruptcy protection request.

“As long as the plant is in bankruptcy protection and the price is deficit, it does not need to operate. I have a court action that covers this; I am not doing it randomly. If I were, I would have shut down already,” said José Alves Neto, the company’s director, to Estadão. “I would like to be operating and making money, like any entrepreneur, but I am not going to increase my problem by millions of reais because the government changed the competition, altered the rules midway, made mistakes, and does not take responsibility,” he added.