US LNG player New Fortress Energy has completed its previously announced deal with Ceiba Energy to acquire a 1.6 GW capacity reserve contract, positioning NFE as a “leading” LNG-to-power company in Brazil.
In December last year, NFE signed the definitive deal to acquire the Portocem power purchase agreement in exchange for newly issued NFE redeemable series A convertible preferred stock and the assumption of certain liabilities from a subsidiary of Ceiba Energy.
The company announced the completion of the deal in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Ceiba Energy, backed by US-based investment firm Denham Capital, won a bid in December 2021 for a 15-year PPA to build, own, and operate a new 1.6 GW power plant in Brazil.
The company’s Portocem LNG-to-power project, which included an FSRU, won 30 percent of the total demand offered by Brazil’s power regulator Aneel and the Ministry of Energy.
Barcarena power plant
NFE said in December it plans to leverage its existing infrastructure in Brazil and transfer the PPA to new power assets connected to NFE’s existing Brazilian LNG terminals – Barcarena and Terminal Gas Sul (TGS).
The company said in the statement on Wednesday that construction activities for the 1.6 GW power plant have started at NFE’s site adjacent to its existing LNG terminal located in Barcarena.
Commercial operations are expected to begin no later than August 2026, resulting in more than $280 million of annual fixed capacity payments under the PPA’s 15-year contract term, it said.
“Completing this transaction means we now have over 2.2 GW of contracted power at Barcarena that will reach COD in 2025 and 2026, in addition to our existing 15-year gas sales agreement with Norsk Hydro,” Andrew Dete, managing director of NFE said.
“This transaction represents the value of our operational LNG terminals in Brazil and we appreciate the partnership with Denham Capital to move quickly to transfer this PPA and begin construction,” he said.
NFE recently launched both its Barcarena and Santa Catarina FSRU-based LNG terminals.
The Barcarena LNG terminal features the 160,000-cbm FSRU, Energos Celsius, while the 138,250-cbm FSRU Energos Winter serves the Santa Catarina LNG terminal.