ENERGY - Odebrecht Informa

Odebrecht Informa – Odebrecht has a long track
record as a contractor, participating in the construction
of about half of the power generating facilities in Brazil,
both on its own and in joint ventures. Did that lead to the
natural decision to bolster its investment arm?
Henrique Valladares – Odebrecht has a long
history in this area. And the fact that we have extensive
experience in the construction of electric power assets
positions us differently in the generation segment. Most of
Capanda hydroelectric plant, a major vector for
the development of the Angolan economy. Also,
we began our operations in Argentina and Mexico
with the Pichi-Picún-Leufú and Los Huites plants,
respectively. Odebrecht has been ranked as the
largest international builder of hydroelectric dams
eight times, according to ENR – Engineering News-
Record, a publication that is a benchmark in the
industry.
Odebrecht’s investment opportunities have resulted from
thorough knowledge of two key variables: time and costs.
And we have learned from our roots: providing excellent
engineering and construction services and meeting the
Client’s needs. Moreover, long experience in financial
OI – Is Odebrecht Energia also focusing on international
investments?
Valladares – Absolutely. We now have the installed capacity
to be investors and operators both inside and outside Brazil.
engineering, especially
We have also applied this
in the form of project
finance, also makes a
capability in other promising
markets, such as Peru,
difference in our role as
investors in electricity
generation, particularly in
greenfield projects. The
drive to better serve their
Clients has enabled our
entrepreneur-partners
to acquire a thorough
knowledge of the value
chain for the power generation
business, which
enables them to grow
our holdings. So here we
are, positioning ourselves
as investors, through the
“Odebrecht has a long
track record in the
energy area.
And the fact that we have
extensive experience
in the construction
of assets in that area
is very important”
where we were awarded
the Chaglla Hydroelectric
Plant project, the second
largest in the country, which
broke ground in the first
half of this year. That project
represents an investment
of USD 1.2 billion and
marks the beginning of the
performance of Odebrecht
Energia as an investor and
operator of power generation
assets outside
Brazil.
creation of Odebrecht Energia S.A., with operations in OI – What about the Brazilian market? What is the
Brazil and other countries. It is important to point out company doing to keep pace with the growth of
that our operations in the hydropower plant market have investments in the energy sector?
also been a key factor for the Organization’s international Valladares – For decades, investments in the energy
expansion.
sector were predominantly made by the Brazilian
government. We’ve continued investing in power
OI – Why is that?
generation in the case of the Santo Antônio hydropower
Valladares – Dam construction has always been plant on the Madeira River in Rondônia, where
an important vector for growth outside Brazil. Peru Odebrecht is not only building the plant but Odebrecht
was the starting point of Odebrecht’s international Energia has a significant stake in the investment and
expansion. We have been present in that country management of the concession.
since 1979, starting with the Charcani V hydro in
Arequipa, built under the Misti volcano. Another OI – Is Santo Antônio a milestone?
milestone in our internationalization process was Valladares – It certainly is! We have adopted
Angola, where we arrived in 1984 to build the the strategy of investing in inventories and feasibility
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