Ceará will receive a new investment of R$ 2 billion for the installation of a solar energy generation park. Kroma Energia project should generate around 1.500 jobs

Kroma Energia plans to invest in municipalities in Ceará. The company will produce 750 MW of solar energy and create 1.500 jobs for professionals in the region.

The municipality of Jaguaruana, in the state of Ceará, will receive a new investment of R$ 2 billion, for the installation of a solar power plant. The project belongs to Kroma Energy and, in addition to generating electricity, promises to generate about 1.500 new jobs, with at least half of the opportunities filled by residents of the region, which is a guarantee stated by the company's founding partner, Rodrigo Mello. 

Investment will be finalized in 2025

With planning starting in the first half of next year, Kroma's solar park in Ceará should be built in phases, with work starting in the second half of the same year.

The estimated conclusion of the first stage of investment in solar energy in Ceará will be completed in January 2025, delivering 250 megawatts (MW) of power. Between 2026 and 2027, the remaining 500 MW will be released.

According to Mello, it is a project that should begin construction in the second half of next year, generating thousands of jobs. With funding approved, the Kroma Energia executive says that the first half of 2023 will only be for planning purposes. Everything has already started, but the company is planning to start in the second half.

The company's founding partner also explained that Kroma operates with financing from the Banco do Nordeste, making part of the R$ 2 billion investment through shareholders' equity. The executive points out that he will have financing with one part by the institution and the other by equity.

Project should generate 750 jobs for residents of Ceará

About generation of jobs in the solar energy project in Jaguaruana, the executive stated that the first stages should bring good numbers to the local market, generating an even greater number of vacancies. Mello points out that the project in Ceará may be essential to expand the municipality's average salary due to the level of qualification required by existing positions in the solar park.

In total, of the 1.500 job openings generated, 750 must be filled by people from Ceará, says Rodrigo. The solar project has phases with very high employability and moves the city a lot.

Once the project is ready, the legacy is certain, as Kroma Energia leaves qualified professionals with salary levels generally higher than the average, raising the bar, as happened in Quixeré. The company has a lot of trained people. Employability in this first phase is very high and preference is given to local labor.

New investments in solar energy should reach the state by 2023

In addition to jobs with power generation projects, the company already plans to open an administrative office in Fortaleza in the coming years. However, there is still no forecast for the investment or the size of it.

Mello stated that Kroma Energia plans to make an investment for a new solar energy park in Quixeré, serving as a natural continuation for the project that will start in Jaguaruana in 2023.

The projection, still without a scheduled date, is based on the scenario of increased demand in the sector and evolution of the renewable energy market in the world in the coming years, driven by the development of large markets, such as Europe.

Projects in Ceará must, however, serve other countries, but focus on the Brazilian free market. However, the expanding need for green hydrogen in other countries can leverage investments in clean energy. The company believes that renewable energy is the future and is in line with what is happening in the world.