Elera Renováveis to invest US$250mn in solar complex expansion

Elera Renováveis said it will invest 1.2bn reais (US$250mn) to add 422MWp at the Janaúba solar complex in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. 

The company will install 700,000 solar modules to bring the total to 2.9mn. Almost 50% of the added capacity has been sold on the non-regulated or free market - and there are advanced negotiations to reach 70%, it said in a press release.

Construction is scheduled to begin this month and completion is expected in the first quarter of 2025.

***

Sales of light electric vehicles in Brazil closed 2023 with a record 93,927 units.

The figure was 91% higher than the previous year, the Brazilian electric vehicle association (ABVE) said in a release.

In December alone, sales jumped 191% year-on-year to a record 16,279 units.

***

Brazil’s electricity demand is expected to grow 9.1% this month compared to January 2023, reaching 81,377MWa (average megawatts), according to national grid operator ONS. 

The highest expansion is projected for the northern subsystem at 12.1% (7,293MWa), followed by the northeast with 10.7% (13,442MWa), the southeast/central-west with 10.6% (46,478MWa), and 1.7% (14,164MWa) in the case of the south.

The outlook for stored energy levels is stable: all subsystems are expected to end January with levels above 50%. 

The highest projected stored energy level is in the south (73.5%), followed by the southeast/central-west (64.6%), the north (64.1%) and northeast (56.3%).

***

Brazil has surpassed the 37GW-mark in installed solar PV capacity, including large-scale plants and distributed generation systems, according to local solar power association Absolar.

The figure represents 16.3% of the country's electricity matrix.

***

Auren Energia said it started commercial operation of the Sol do Piauí PV solar plant, adding 48MW of installed capacity to its portfolio. 

Located in Piauí state, the plant shares connection infrastructure to the electrical transmission system with the Ventos do Piauí I wind complex, with 206MW of installed capacity. 

***

Mauricio Scovino, CEO of Celeo Brasil with over 20 years of energy sector experience, has become a new board member of the Brazilian hydrogen and sustainable fuels association (ABHIC).

In a release, Scovino said that green hydrogen offers a solution for developing countries to accelerate their energy transition, as well as attracting investments and creating jobs.

***

The oil and gas industry is set to invest 23.8bn reais in Brazil’s Maranhão state by 2034, according to a study.

The investments could boost the state's GDP by 7.5% and generate more than 62,000 jobs, said the study named “O&G in the future of Maranhão: Evaluation of investments and impacts". 

Commissioned by Maranhão gas distributor Gasmar, the study was carried out by Rio de Janeiro’s federal university (UFRJ) and presented to the state government's economic development department.

***

Brazilian energy giant Petrobras' asphalt sales hit a new record last year at 2.5Mt.

According to the national oil company, the historic performance was due to its refining plant’s ability to meet strong demand related to federal, state and municipal paving works, as well as road concessions.