CFLCL consolidated sales rise 9.5% to Aug.

Brazilian distributor CFLCL increased consolidated sales 9.5% to 3,886GWh in the first eight months of the year from the same period 2002, the company said in a statement Tuesday. The figure for 2003 is 3.3% higher than in 2000, before hydro shortages led to power rationing. CFLCL itself increased sales 4.9% to 650GWh. Subsidiary CENF saw sales increase 5.9% to 185GWh, Energipe increased 9.4% to 1,228GWh, CELB increased 10.9% to 345GWh and Saelpa increased 11.8% to 1,478GWh. Consolidated gross operating revenues were 808mn reais (US$279mn) January-August 2003, 27.2% more in local currency terms than during the same period 2002. CFLCL is still considering whether to join the US$1bn bailout package that national development bank BNDES is offering distributors, the statement said. Meanwhile, CFLCL generation subsidiary Cat-Leo Energy received the operational license on September 24 from environment authority FEAM for its 13MW Palestina small-scale hydro plant, which will produce 70GWh a year. Cat-Leo will start operating tests of its 24MW Cachoeria Encoberta hydro plant in mid-October, the statement added.