The Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) has released the estimated schedule for the main auctions in the electricity sector for the period of 2027 to 2029.
The schedule was published in an extra edition of the Official Gazette of the Union, through MME Ordinance No. 143/2026, and includes contracts for new and existing energy, capacity reserves, and service to isolated systems.
The program also incorporates different technologies into future competitions. These include electrochemical battery storage systems, hydraulic storage, hydroelectric and thermoelectric plants that utilize biomethane, biogas, biofuels, and waste.
The inclusion of these resources expands the range of solutions that can be considered in future power contracting mechanisms.
Access MME Ordinance No. 143/2026
2027 Agenda
The schedule begins in the first half of 2027, with two tenders planned. One will be for contracting reserve capacity from hydroelectric plants of up to 50 MW, while the other will aim to supply the Isolated Systems.
In the second half of the year, an auction for reserve capacity in the form of power is planned. The design may include batteries, hydraulic storage systems, hydroelectric and thermoelectric plants, including those powered by biomethane, biogas, biofuels and waste.
During the same period, the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) plans auctions for the purchase of energy from new projects and existing power plants.
Competitions will continue in 2028 and 2029.
The schedule maintains the contracting of reserve capacity from small hydroelectric plants in the first half of 2028. For the second half of the year, the auction for reserve capacity in the form of power will reappear, in addition to the auctions for energy from new projects and existing generation.
In 2029, the first semester will again feature an auction for contracting reserve capacity from hydroelectric plants of up to 50 MW.
In the second half of the year, the schedule foresees another capacity reservation auction in the form of power, with the possibility of participation from the same technological categories planned for 2027 and 2028. Auctions for new and existing energy are also scheduled, as well as a new auction for the supply of Isolated Systems.
The implementation of reserve capacity auctions in the form of power, however, will depend on an assessment of the system's needs. EPE and ONS must jointly submit this assessment to the MME by April 30th of each year.
For Isolated Systems, the holding of the auctions will be contingent upon EPE's expansion plan or the strategy for replacing thermal generation based on fossil fuels with renewable sources.
Reversible transmissions enter the radar.
Alongside the release of the schedule, EPE (Energy Research Company) is preparing the first steps to structure a future auction for hydraulic storage, focusing on UHRs (reversible hydroelectric plants).
The company announced a public call for project registrations and to obtain information about the development stage of this market.
The first stage of the work should begin in October, when instructions will be released for agents and interested parties to submit projects. EPE intends to gather information on the maturity of the initiatives, technical characteristics, attributes, costs, and implementation deadlines.
The call for proposals will be advisory and informative in nature, and will not serve as a qualification process for future auctions. The intention is to use the information to calibrate evaluation criteria, identify risks, and point out any regulatory gaps. The data for each project must remain confidential.
After this stage, EPE intends to move forward with coordination with the MME and the ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) and develop studies on costs, economic and financial parameters, contracting guidelines, and socio-environmental impacts.
Reversible power plants have also become eligible for the Special Environmental License, which, according to the company, can provide greater predictability for the implementation of projects considered strategic.
Predictability
With the publication of the estimated timeline, the market now has a clearer reference point regarding when and in which areas the government intends to promote new hiring over the next three years.
Although the execution of some of the tenders still depends on technical evaluations, the advance scheduling tends to increase predictability for companies, investors, and developers who are monitoring the expansion of the supply and capacity of the electrical system.
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