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Chinese Measurement Giant Kaifa Comes to Brazil to Fulfill Sabesp Contract That Foresees 4.4 Million Smart Meters in São Paulo and São José dos Campos, with Connectivity Operated by Vivo. Estimated Investment Is R$ 200 Million and Should Generate 300 Jobs in Manaus.
The Chinese Giant Kaifa, a provider of measurement technologies, will land in Brazil to fulfill Sabesp’s contract aimed at installing 4.4 million smart meters. The company plans to invest about R$ 200 million to establish a factory in Manaus (AM).
The move is tied to the R$ 3.8 billion partnership announced in August between Sabesp and Vivo to implement smart water measurement equipment in São Paulo and São José dos Campos. Vivo will be responsible for the connectivity and operation of the system, while the Chinese Giant will act as the supplier of the measurement solution.
Why the Factory in Manaus Became the Centerpiece of the Plan
The decision to install a plant in Amazonas is a direct response to the demand from Sabesp’s billion-dollar contract.
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50 viaducts, 4 tunnels, 28 bridges, and 40 kilometers of bike paths: BR-262 in Espírito Santo will receive 8.6 billion reais for the largest engineering project in the state’s history, inspired by the Immigrant Highway in São Paulo.
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Brazil produces too much clean energy and doesn’t know what to do with it: over 20% of solar and wind capacity was wasted in 2025 while investors flee and 509 renewable generation projects were abandoned in the last year.
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Piauí will produce a new fuel that replaces diesel without needing to change anything in the truck’s engine and reduces pollutant gas emissions by half: truck drivers from all over the Northeast are already celebrating the news that will arrive later this decade.
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A new Brazilian shopping center worth R$ 400 million will be built in an area equivalent to more than 4 football fields, featuring 90 stores, 5 cinemas, a supermarket, a college, and parking for 1,700 cars, potentially generating 3,000 jobs.
The Chinese Giant estimates that the unit in Manaus will generate about 300 direct and indirect jobs, signaling a relevant local impact from an operation that requires scale.
In addition to serving Sabesp, the equipment produced in Manaus will also be offered to other countries in Latin America, expanding the investment’s reach and creating a regional industrial base for the Chinese Giant.
The R$ 3.8 Billion Contract and Vivo’s Role in the System
The Sabesp and Vivo partnership was announced in August, focusing on the implementation of a smart measurement system.
At that time, the sanitation company had not disclosed who would provide the meters, but the project was already outlined with a well-defined role for Vivo: connectivity and operation of the system.
Now, with the entry of Chinese Giant Kaifa, the arrangement is complete: Sabesp leads the strategy for the replacement and management of the meter park, Vivo supports the connectivity and operation layer, and the supplier provides the hardware and measurement technology at scale.
What Changes with Smart Meters and IoT Technology
The contract foresees the replacement of conventional meters with fully connected equipment, using IoT (Internet of Things) technology.
In practice, the new meters allow for daily monitoring of consumption, changing the customer’s relationship with their water bill.
Highlighted features include alerts for internal leaks, detection of fraud attempts, and remote reading, eliminating the need for the reader to access the property.
For Sabesp, the package combines operational gains with greater visibility over consumption and irregularities.
Efficiency, Revenue, and Conscious Consumption: What Sabesp Expects to Gain
At the time of the contract announcement, Sabesp’s CFO, Daniel Szlak, stated that the technology is expected to bring efficiency gains and a positive impact on revenue.
Still, he pointed out a considered central benefit: the encouragement of conscious consumption.
The logic is simple: with daily monitoring and alerts, it becomes easier to identify leaks and act quickly, which helps to reduce losses in the network and improve consumption management, a sensitive issue in major centers like São Paulo and São José dos Campos.
Do you think the Chinese Giant and smart meters will help more in reducing water losses or increasing revenue with more accurate readings?
Leituras mais precisas com aumento de arrecadação. Mas os clientes irão também fazer um melhor controle de seu consumo de água
demissão em massa em SP. parabéns governador.
A perda de água não está no hidrometro Isto sópermitirá a cobrançamais rápidae eficiente com menor custo, aumentando os dividendos dos acionistas, pois um monte de gente perderá o emprego aumentando o lucro