If it must, Brazil will build Belo Monte dam alone

BRASILIA, April 8 (Reuters) - Brazil's government will itself build the massive Belo Monte hydroelectric dam in the Amazon region if no private firms bid for the project, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday.

The 11,000 megawatt dam, to be constructed on the Xingu River in the state of Para, is expected to cost around 20 billion reais ($11.2 billion). It would be the world's third-biggest power plant and help Brazil meet soaring energy demand.

Two major local infrastructure companies said on Wednesday they would not take part in bidding for the construction of the giant dam in the Amazon rain forest, because it was not financially viable under the conditions of the auction. [ID:nN07140630]

But Lula told reporters on Thursday the government would press ahead with the project, with or without a private company to take it on.

"It's important to be loud and clear about this -- we will build Belo Monte with or without them," he said. (Reporting by Natuza Nery; Writing by Peter Murphy; Editing by Raymond Colitt and Jim Marshall)