By Brazil Stock Guide – Brazil’s Novo Tempo Barcarena thermoelectric plant has started testing operations in the northern state of Pará, a step toward adding 630 megawatts of capacity to the national grid.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy said the natural gas-fired facility is part of the government’s Growth Acceleration Program (PAC), designed to boost infrastructure and energy security. Commercial operations are scheduled to begin in December 2025.
The facility uses a single-shaft configuration, in which gas and steam turbines are connected to a single generator, enhancing efficiency. Fuel will be supplied by the Barcarena liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal, which began operations in March 2024 and can process up to 15 million cubic meters per day with 160,000 cubic meters of storage capacity.
Grid connection will be made through Eletronorte’s 230-kV Vila do Conde substation. The project secured long-term contracts in Brazil’s 30th New Energy Auction (A-6), held in 2019, with supply guaranteed until 2049.
Environmental licensing was overseen by Pará’s state environment agency, Semas-PA. According to the government, the plant is one of 534 energy generation projects under the PAC’s energy transition portfolio, of which 322 are already complete.
The Novo Tempo facility is expected to strengthen power supply reliability in northern Brazil, supporting industrial expansion and regional economic growth.
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