Brasília – Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva participated on Wednesday (22) in the inauguration of the Neoenergía Renewable Complex in the municipality of Santa Luzia, Paraíba. According to the government, this is the first renewable energy complex in Brazil to integrate the generation of wind and solar power.
In his speech, Mines and Energy minister Alexandre Silveira stressed the intention of the government to boost the share of clean energy in generation parks across the country. Furthermore, ventures in this sector can foster industrialization in the Northeast region.
“It’s generation of jobs and income for our Northeastern sisters and brothers, it’s a symbol of sustainable use of our country’s natural resources. It’s a complex that manage to integrate wind power and solar power, which are so abundant in our dear Northeast, which plays a leading role in Brazil’s energy transition,” Silveira said. “Sun and wind are the greatest drivers of the development of Northeast Brazil, due to the generation of clean and renewable energy,” he finished.
With an investment of BRL 3 billion (USD 572 million), Neoenergía’s project stands out for its simultaneous action as a wind farm and a solar plant, guaranteed by substations and transmission lines. The model optimizes the use of the transmission grid due to the complementariness of the energy sources.
The complex covers an area of 8.7 hectares in the municipalities of Santa Luiza, Areia de Baraúnas, São Jose de Sabugi and São Mamede, in the state of Paraíba. Some 250 families in the region were benefited from the land lease for the installation of wind turbines and photovoltaic panels. The energy generated by the complex reaches 0.6 gigawatts, enough to supply 1.3 million residences per year.
In a statement the Presidency of the Republic stressed the increase in Brazil’s clean energy capacity. “In late 2006, one year before the launch of the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) [of investments in infrastructure], the installed capacity of wind farms was 237 megawatts. In 2014 the installed capacity reached 3,106 megawatts,” the statement said.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
