MME publishes guidelines to structurally allow energy imports from Paraguay for contracting on the free market

The following is a machine translation of a MME release

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) published, this Thursday (10/31), Normative Ordinance GM/MME No. 87/2024 with the guidelines for importing electricity from Paraguay. The objective is to sign contracts in the Free Contracting Environment (ACL), being a sectoral innovation.

"We are strengthening regional energy integration in South America, bringing more energy security and reliability to the productive sector and to the Brazilian energy consumer", highlighted the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira.

The measure is in line with the Memorandum of Understanding between Brazil and Paraguay, signed in April, and strengthens regional energy integration, in addition to promoting the optimization of the use of energy resources.

Through this initiative, the MME intends to improve energy trade modalities between Brazil and Paraguay, aiming for greater efficiency and benefits for the electricity sector and consumers.

The proposal regarding the import of energy with ballast was made available in Public Consultation (CP nº 174/2024), which received more than 60 suggestions.

Unlike the rules that deal with temporary, i.e. interruptible, exchanges, Normative Ordinance GM/MME No. 87/2024 deals with the definition of guidelines for importing energy with collateral and, therefore, may be subject to negotiation in Brazil's Free Contracting Environment.