Natural Gas-Fueled Thermoelectric Plant in Pará Begins Testing Phase in Barcarena
Novo Tempo Thermoelectric Plant is the first in Pará powered by Natural Gas and supplied by the Gas Company of Pará (GdP)
Supplied by the Gas Company of Pará, the Novo Tempo Thermoelectric Plant, CELBA 2, in Barcarena, the first thermoelectric plant powered by natural gas in Pará, has reached a new operational milestone in its testing phase, with the ignition of the gas and steam turbines.
The UTE is part of the state energy transition project and is expected to have one of the largest generation capacities in all of Northern Brazil, with the start of supply to the national interconnected system scheduled for this quarter.
With the authorization from Aneel (National Electric Energy Agency) on September 19, published in the Official Gazette, the generating unit UG1 entered the testing phase 20 days ago, allowing for the analysis of capacity and structural evolution, until it reaches full operation.
The production of 624 MW from the UTE is expected to be sufficient to supply about 2.6 million households. Energy capable of meeting 10% of the demand for the entire Northern region and 25% of all of Pará. Equipped with a gas turbine and a steam turbine, the thermoelectric plant is powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), distributed by the Gas Company of Pará.
“A new era of interconnected energy generation begins to provide more reliability to the national system. Pará, as a major energy producer through its hydropower plants, will increase its generation capacity with a continuously operating plant,” highlighted Fernando Flexa Ribeiro, CEO of the Gas Company of Pará. “It is the first thermoelectric plant in Pará powered by natural gas, ensuring a clean energy transition,” he emphasized.
The UTE Novo Tempo will contribute to the country's electricity generation demand through the National Energy System of Brazil. In addition to it, the Natural Gas Distribution System (SDGN) of the Gas Company of Pará will soon also serve the operations of the UTE Portocém, which will be one of the largest thermoelectric plants in Brazil and is expected to start its activities in August 2026, also in Barcarena.
