TCU considers suspending largest energy auction of the year

TCU subprosecutor-general Lucas Rocha Furtado requested on Wednesday the suspension of the results from Brazil's largest energy auction of 2026, held on March 18. The request raises concerns over companies like Evolution Power Partners and process irregularities. The court is now reviewing the precautionary measure.

Lucas Rocha Furtado, TCU subprosecutor-general, requested on Wednesday (April 1) the suspension of results from the capacity reserve auction, the largest of the year, held on March 18. He seeks further checks on participants' technical and financial capacity, as well as competitive regularity, particularly for those with questionable viability.

Scrutiny targets Evolution Power Partners (EPP) and affiliates, which won contracts totaling over R$ 8 billion in investments for 1.685 GW of power. Furtado states EPP failed to disclose ties to other bidders to EPE and CCEE, breaching rules. "The hypothesis that the same economic group may have acted under multiple identities [...] is extremely serious," the prosecutor wrote.

Mid-auction, Âmbar Energia's Araucária II plant (linked to J&F) was reclassified from new to existing, changing its ceiling price and limiting participation. J&F appealed to Aneel against the outcome. The Mines and Energy Ministry also raised ceiling prices three days prior without supporting technical note.

Furtado noted EPP's past failure to deliver 2021 emergency auction projects and background of alleged controller Marcos Antonio Grecco, probed in Lava Jato and defendant in an Amapá bribery case. The 5% to 5.5% average discount indicates potential distortion, per the document.

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