Andritz predicts resumption of the equipment industry after new contracts
Austrian equipment manufacturer Andritz is betting that the recent contracts signed with Copel and Áxia, in addition to the possibility of new transmission and capacity reserve auctions and exports, point to the beginning of a recovery in the national equipment industry, after years of low demand for new projects.
In an interview with CNN, the company's CEO, Dieter Hopf, stated that the new contracts will increase the use of the factory in Araraquara (SP) to around 60% of its installed capacity, requiring investments in modernization and the hiring of new employees.
Andritz entered into a partnership with Copel in the Capacity Reserve Auction (LRCap), held in March this year. The project foresees the expansion of the Segredo and Foz do Areia hydroelectric plants, adding more than 2.1 GW to the Paraná company's installed capacity. At the end of the works, Copel's generation capacity is expected to increase from 6.2 GW to 8.3 GW, a growth of approximately 33%. The planned investments are in the order of R$5 billion.
"Our hope is that Brazil will experience a resumption of the hydroelectric equipment industry. The capacity reserve auction was the first, but we are waiting for new auctions. There are plants with the potential to increase capacity", he stated.
According to Hopf, in the past the company operated with a capacity close to 1 million man-hours per year, but the reduction in investments in hydroelectric generation and the lack of new auctions caused a sharp retraction in industrial activity.
With the new contracts, the company should expand its production structure. Initially, around 200 professionals will be hired. The company's estimate is that each increase of 100,000 man-hours will require approximately 70 new workers.
The executive stated that Andritz still has the capacity to meet new projects and expects new capacity reserve auctions to be held in 2027 or 2028, making room for other expansions of hydroelectric plants.
According to Abrage (Brazilian Association of Electricity Generating Companies), the country has the potential to add around 11 GW to the system by expanding the capacity of existing hydroelectric plants. In energy equivalences, the amount is equivalent to the power of the Belo Monte plant.
In addition to generation, the company also sees opportunities in the transmission segment. In the last transmission auction, Andritz closed the supply of equipment to Áxia (formerly Eletrobras). The executive confirmed that he intends to supply equipment to companies interested in competing in Aneel's next transmission auction, scheduled for October, which estimates investments of R$8.9 billion.
The company also follows the discussion on reversible hydroelectric plants. The technology uses two reservoirs at different levels to store energy and is considered by the sector to be a large-scale storage alternative, functioning as a "natural battery".
Although part of the market believes that this segment will only advance in the next decade, due to the need for specific regulation, Hopf stated that he believes that this regulatory framework can be defined in a shorter period of time.
In addition to the Brazilian market, Andritz exports equipment produced in the country for projects in the United States, Canada and other Latin American countries. In the coming days, the company should announce another new contract.
Source: CNN