Lisbon, Portugal, 10 Aug – The Energias do Brasil company wants to double installed electricity production capacity to 1,043 megawatts (Mw) by the end of the year, a source from EDP-Energias de Portugal, the holding that controls the Brazilian firm, told Portuguese news agency Lusa Wednesday.

The current production capacity of Energias do Brasil is 516 Mw, though it has three ongoing hydroelectric projects that will enable installed capacity to double.

EDP indicated that efforts to increase the group’s power production are pinned on the opening of the 25 Mw São João small hydroelectric plant in Espírito Santo, the launch of the fourth turbine (49 Mw) at the Mascarenhas hydroelectric dam and the operational start-up of the third Peixe Angelical turbine.

Total investment in these three projects is 1,753 billion reals (nearly US$809 million).

Energias do Brasil currently maintains a 1 percent share of the Brazilian production market, which should increase to 2 percent with these new investments.

In distribution the group’s three companies – Bandeirante, Escelsa and Enersul – control 6 percent of the national market. (macauhub)