Enel Green Power Brasil Participações Ltda, the Brazilian subsidiary of the Enel Group for renewables, has started construction of a new 133 MW section of the São Gonçalo solar park, in São Gonçalo do Gurguéia, in the northeastern state of Piauí in Brazil. Thanks to this extension, the total capacity of São Gonçalo will reach 608 MW. The Enel Group will invest approximately 422 million Brazilian reals, equal to approximately 100 million euros, for the construction of the new 133 MW section.
Antonio Cammisecra, head of Enel Green Power, Enel's global business line dedicated to the development of renewables, said: “The further expansion of São Gonçalo, the largest solar plant currently under construction in South America, reinforces our commitment to increase EGP's renewable capacity in Brazil , where we are the leading solar and wind operator in terms of installed capacity and plant portfolio. The energy production from the São Gonçalo plant will further benefit from our leadership in the field of innovation, leveraging among other things the most advanced generation technologies. The plant will devote a significant part of its output, including the entire production of the new section, to the free Brazilian energy market, which is increasingly attractive to renewable energy investors."
The 608 MW São Gonçalo solar park is scheduled to enter service in 2020; construction work on the first 475 MW section started in October 2018. São Gonçalo's total installed capacity includes:
· 343 MW, which includes the 133 MW of the new section and a 210 MW part of the first section, supported by energy supply contracts negotiated with corporate customers on the Brazilian free energy market;
· 265 MW of the first section, covered by a twenty-year energy supply contract with a group of distribution companies operating on the country's protected market.
Once operational, the new section of the São Gonçalo solar park will be able to generate approximately 360 GWh per year, avoiding the emission of approximately 207,000 tons of CO2 per year. Once operational, the entire 608 MW plant will be able to produce over 1.500 GWh per year, avoiding the emission of over 860.000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
