Jose Antunes Sobrinho

José Antunes Sobrinho (born 1962) is a civil engineer specializing in hydro projects. He holds a degree from the Federal University of Paraná (1974) and a Master's degree in hydraulic engineering from the Delft University of Technology, Netherlands (1978).

In 1986, he was appointed Director General of ENGEVIX Engenharia S/A. Antunes is a hydroelectric specialist and has worked on the Itaipu (14,000 MW), Tucuruí (8,370 MW), Belo Monte (11,233 MW under construction); Ita (1,450 MW), Campos Novos (880 MW), Barra Grande (690 MW) and other hydro projects.

He is also an active consultant and provides local support for UK-based Coopers & Lybrand. He helped drive forward the Brazilian energy sector restructuring program, which basically set the foundations for the way the industry's regulatory and legal frameworks would operate.

Antunes was a member of the teams consulting on the Itaipu (14,000 MW) and Machadinho (1,240 MW) projects. He has also been worked on projects in Asia (Vietnam, China and Nepal), Africa (Congo, Angola and Namibia) and South America (Peru, Mexico and elsewhere). In 2009, he was invited to lecture at MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) on renewable energy in Brazil.

In May 1995, Antunes founded DESENVIX, the investment arm of ENGEVIX that focuses on the energy industry. DESENVIX currently generates the equivalent of 400 MW provided by clean energy sources and ongoing or planned hydro, biomass and wind projects that will provide around 2,000 MW.

Antunes is currently managing the INFRAMERICA consortium, which is building the new Natal Airport (Rio Grande do Norte) and modernizing and expanding Brasília Airport, Brazil's third largest air passenger hub.

The ENGEVIX Group also has a number of maritime construction contracts and builds hulls for FPSO platforms.

The ENGEVIX Group has almost 50 years' experience in the infrastructure sector.