São Paulo transmission auction results: Spanish-backed groups take seven of eight lots, bids 50% below cap

São Paulo · Economy · Nov. 1, 2026 · Brazil's electricity regulator ANEEL awarded all eight lots in Transmission Auction No. 4/2026, held at the B3 exchange in São Paulo on October 30. The auction, the country's final transmission tender of 2026, carries an estimated R$8.9 billion (about $1.67 billion) in planned investment across seven states, covering 1,866 km of new transmission lines, continued operation of 483 km of existing lines and 12,694 MVA of substation capacity.

Spanish-backed bidders take seven lots

Spanish-backed groups won seven of the eight projects, committing an estimated R$8.56 billion, Reuters reported. They include Celeo's Brazilian unit (lots 4 and 8, with lot 4 alone worth about R$4.1 billion), Cymi (projects in São Paulo and Paraná) and Iberdrola's Neoenergia (projects in Bahia and Paraíba). The winners' combined annual permitted revenue bids totalled R$811 million, a 50.10% discount to the R$1.625 billion cap set by the regulator.

Thirty-year concessions and build-out

All eight concessions run for 30 years, with projects due to enter operation 42 to 60 months after contracts are signed, depending on the lot. Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy said construction is expected to create about 20,300 direct and indirect jobs; the largest project, spanning Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás and Paraná and passing through São Paulo, accounts for about R$4.1 billion in investment and 1,167 km of lines. The investment and jobs figures are projections for work still to come, not completed results, and contracts are expected to be signed in February 2027.