Brazil: Centaurus Metals has received regulatory approval to connect its Jaguar Nickel Sulphide Project to Brazil’s national 230 kV transmission network.
The approval was granted by Operador Nacional do Sistema Elétrico (ONS), Brazil’s national electric grid operator, through the company’s wholly owned subsidiary Centaurus Níquel Ltda. It secures an initial allocation of 20 MW of power for the project.
The connection will provide access to reliable, lower-cost electricity from Brazil’s national high-voltage transmission system. According to Centaurus, power supplied through the national network is more reliable than the regional lower-voltage distribution system and carries lower transmission charges.
The grid connection will be established through the construction of a 36 km extension from an existing 230 kV transmission line to Jaguar’s main substation. The company said all environmental and mining approvals required for the transmission line have already been secured.
As part of the approval, Centaurus has agreed to participate in load shedding if required by the transmission line concession holder, until planned regional transmission upgrades are completed. Brazil’s National Electricity Agency is targeting completion of those upgrades by mid-2032.
To secure the 20 MW allocation, Centaurus will lodge a $1.9 M (R$9.7 M) guarantee with ONS within 90 days. The guarantee will remain in place until the project becomes operational.
Centaurus Metals’ Managing Director, Darren Gordon, said: “Securing access to Brazil’s high-voltage power grid is an important milestone for the Company in advancing Jaguar towards development. Reliable, competitively priced power is a critical component of any large-scale mining operation, and this approval supports Jaguar’s position in the bottom quartile of operating costs once operational, while at the same time significantly de-risking the project development.”
Source: Market Index
