Enel Will Invest R$870 Million in Project to Expand São Gonçalo III Solar Complex in Piauí

Costing about R$ 870 million, Enel focused investments on the expansion of the São Gonçalo III solar park, located in Piauí.

Enel Green Power, a company focused on renewable energy production, started commercial operations directing investments to the São Gonçalo III solar park, being the second expansion happening in the solar complex installed in São Gonçalo do Gurguéia, in Piauí.

Enel’s Investments Focus on Production and Sustainability in São Gonçalo III

The investment in São Gonçalo III cost around R$ 870 million. The park will be able to generate about 597 GWh annually, avoiding the emission of more than 400,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year.

With the new section corresponding to 256 MW, the complex reached a total operational capacity of 864 MW, becoming the largest solar park in operation in Latin America.

Taking the entire complex into account, it will generate more than 2 TWh of energy per year. The avoided emissions are estimated at 1.3 million tons of CO2 per year.

According to a statement issued by the company, the energy generated by the 2.2 million solar panels in the complex is sufficient to replace 470 million cubic meters of natural gas used in the power generation process by thermoelectric plants per year.

The project in Piauí was also the first Enel plant in Brazil to use bifacial solar modules, which can capture energy from both sides of the panel, with an expected increase in energy generation of up to 18%.

History of the Piauí Complex Expansion

Bruno Riga, responsible for Enel Green Power in Brazil, states that the country has an important position in the company’s business expansion plans.

The construction of the project began in October 2018, with 475 MW of installed capacity. The new installation was connected to the grid in January 2020.

In August 2019, Enel announced the construction of the first expansion of the complex, with 133 MW of capacity, which began operations in February 2021.

The construction of the third section of the project was announced in December 2020, and it is already in operation.

Bruno Riga comments that, “The São Gonçalo solar complex is fundamental in Enel Green Power’s trajectory in Brazil and has also helped us consolidate the group’s ability to build and operate large-scale plants globally.”

Renewable Energy Generation on the Rise

Centralized generation is expected to grow 10.3 GW in 2023, according to projections from the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME). This is the largest annual expansion of installed electric power production capacity on Brazilian soil.

Solar and wind power plants are expected to account for over 92% of this production.

The highlights of the expansion are Bahia (3.1 GW), Rio Grande do Norte (2.8 GW), and Minas Gerais (1.8 GW).

The projection is that 298 generating plants will become operational or add capacity, spread across 18 Brazilian states.