CG AND CHESF´S WIND FARM: COMMERCIAL OPERATION 2 MONTHS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

Marcolândia, Piauí, July 9, 2015

ContourGlobal and Companhia Hidro Elétrica do São Francisco (Chesf) announced today that they had initiated commercial operations on 176 MW in six wind farms in their the Chapada do Piauí I Wind Complex, located near the towns of Marcolândia, Simões and Padre Marcos. The complex features an installed capacity of 205 MW and will generate enough electricity to supply 650,000 households – more than half of the total household power consumption in the Brazilian state of Piauí.

The Chapada do Piauí I project investment of approximately R$ 800 million included R$ 555 million financed by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social – BNDES). The complex consists of 115 GE1.85 MW and GE1.7 MW turbines. A total of 700 direct jobs and 2,000 indirect jobs were created during the wind farm’s construction over the past sixteen months.

Alessandra Marinheiro, Chief Executive Officer of ContourGlobal Latam stated, “We are proud to finalize construction almost 2 months ahead of schedule. Our ContourGlobal team, together with our partners, General Electric, Chesf, Cortez, Alstom, Sucesso and BNDES, pulled together to achieve this significant milestone. We developed and constructed a major infrastructure project in an extremely remote region and did so with an exemplary safety record—2 Lost Time Accidents in 2,000,000 hours worked since construction started sixteen months ago. We would also like to acknowledge the support received from the state and municipal governments and our local communities.”

In addition to bringing additional renewable energy to the Brazilian market, the wind farms create jobs and develop the local economy by improving the land registration processes for small land owners, providing income streams from land leases, and improving healthcare, education, and professional development within the communities surrounding the project.

“Chesf already generates electricity in Piauí through the Boa Esperança Power Plant, as well with transmission projects that further expand our supply across the entire state, featuring new transmission lines and substations. The Company is investing heavily in wind power across Northeastern Brazil, region where it operates, still acting as the key agent the region´s development,” said Chesf’s Chief Executive Officer, José Carlos de Miranda Farias.

Besides Chapada do Piauí I, ContourGlobal and Chesf are also building other wind farms in the state featuring a total installed capacity of 437 MW under a PPA received in 2013 through the A-3 Auctions.  The entire complex will be completed by January 2016.

ContourGlobal and Chesf leaders and government representatives will attend the official opening ceremony in August.

About ContourGlobal

ContourGlobal is an international power-generation company with approximately 4,000 MW in operations or under construction in 20 countries and on three continents. ContourGlobal’s 1,650 employees manage, own and operate a portfolio of 58 power plants utilizing a wide range of fuel types and technologies including renewable energy production based upon hydro-electric, wind and solar, as well as an extensive fleet of conventionally powered thermal power plants.

In Latin America, ContourGlobal LATAM has 1,626 MW under development, construction and operation in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Mexico and the Caribbean. Its current portfolio consists of 774 MW in operation, 437 MW of wind projects under construction in Brazil, and 415 MW of wind and hydro projects under development in Mexico and Brazil.

About Chesf

Member of the Brazilian Electrical Sector, Companhia Hidro Elétrica do São Francisco (Chesf) is an Eletrobras subsidiary whose main commercial activity is to generate, distribute and market electricity. It features an installed capacity of 10,615 MW and 14 hydroelectric plants in Brazil, consolidated as one of the largest Brazilian electricity generators. Ten of these plants are installed at the São Francisco River Basin. The company has offices, major substations and the Boa Esperança Hydroelectric Power Plant (Parnaíba River) in Piauí. The company invests over R$ 2 billion in wind power generation projects in Northeastern Brazil.

For more information, visit the ContourGlobal website: www.contourglobal.com and the Chesf Portal: www.chesf.gov.br

Press Office:

Natalia Pacheco
npacheco@llorenteycuenca.com
+55 (21) 3797-6400

Thyago Mathias
tmathias@llorenteycuenca.com 
+55 (11) 3060-3390

Tatiana Learth Junqueira
tatianaj@chesf.gov.br
+55 (81) 3229-3412
+55 (81) 9738-0879