GE Vernova and Eneva, the largest private natural gas operator in Brazil, has started commercial operations at the Azulão I gas fired power plant, located in Silves, approximately 330 km from Manaus. Contracted to provide 295 MW of capacity to Brazil’s National Interconnected System (SIN) for 15 years, the new plant is expected to contribute to enhancing the stability, reliability and security of the country’s electricity supply. The project is the first asset of Eneva’s Azulão Complex, which consists of the Azulão I and Azulão II power plants.
At the heart of the Azulão I facility is GE Vernova’s high-performance 7HA.02 gas turbine, paired with an H65 generator. This advanced turbine is designed to deliver the rapid load-following capabilities needed to balance the grid and support the growth of non-dispatchable renewables, like wind and solar, across Brazil.
The project’s success is enhanced by Eneva’s “Reservoir-to-Wire” (R2W) model, which aims to improve infrastructure by generating electricity at the source of natural gas production. To integrate this plant into the Tucuruí-Macapá-Manaus, one of the world’s longest and most challenging high-voltage transmission corridors spanning 1850 km, Eneva and GE Vernova have implemented a custom-engineered sub–synchronous resonance (SSR) blocking filter paired with a torsional stress relay solution to help ensure that the plant can operate reliably and in sync with the surrounding transmission system.
GE Vernova has also secured a 15-year service agreement intended to help ensure high levels of reliability and operational availability.
The significance of this project to Eneva is that if demonstrates its ability to structure and execute large-scale strategic investments, even in highly complex logistical and operational environments.
According to Brazil’s Ten Year Energy Expansion Plan (PDE 2035), developed by the Energy Research Company, renewables are expected to cover more than 85% of Brazil’s electricity generation by 2035, particularly with the expansion of wind and solar generation. Given the inherent intermittency of these sources, gas turbines are considered to be critical for balancing the system, providing dispatchable power to help stabilise the grid.
