Bid for $5.2 bln Amazon dam to be May 12-regulator

SAO PAULO, April 10 (Reuters) - The tender to build and operate a second hydroelectric plant along the Rio Madeira river in the Amazon jungle will be held on May 12, the Brazilian energy regulator said on Thursday.

The National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) set the price ceiling at 91 reais ($54) per MWh.

The bidder to offer the lowest electricity rate wins the right to build and operate the 3,300 MW Jirau plant, which is expected to go online by 2013.

The total cost is estimated at 8.7 billion reais ($5.18 billion).

A consortium grouping Brazilian private and state firms and an investment fund of Banif and Santander banks won a concession in December to build and operate a separate $5 billion hydroelectric plant on the Madeira river.

The consortium agreed to market the future electricity from the 3,150 megawatt Santo Antonio project at 78.9 reais ($44.8) per MWh, a 35 percent discount compared to the auction's base price. (Reporting by Raymond Colitt; Editing by Christian Wiessner)