In partnership with the state government, Shell Energy Brasil plans to build 5 solar plants in Minas Gerais with investments of R$ 7 billion. Together the solar energy plants will be able to generate energy for 2 million inhabitants.
Shell Energy Brasil, a subsidiary of Shell, focused on initiatives of clean and sustainable energy, plans to invest in the North, Northwest and Central regions of Minas Gerais, with the aim of installing five solar photovoltaic plants in the state. The Government of Minas Gerais and the British company, which is best known in the country for its presence in the Oil and Gas, signed a protocol of intentions that estimates the investment of approximately R$ 7 billion in solar energy this Monday (30).
Cities contemplated for construction of new solar plants
The agreement signed between Shell Energy Brasil and the state government, aims at studies for the installation of solar plants in the cities of Brasilândia de Minas and Arinos, in the Northwest, Corinto, in the Central Region, and Várzea da Palma and Janaúba, in the North of state.
The investment consolidates the national leadership position of the state of Minas Gerais in the generation of renewable energy in Brazil. Romeu Zema, governor of the state, in addition to celebrating the signing of the protocol, presented André Araújo, president of Shell Brasil, with other potentialities in the energy sector considered strategic for the government of Minas Gerais.
In addition to solar energy, the state also has other opportunities in carbon capture and power generation. It is important to point out that Minas Gerais has the largest reforested area in the country and 300 hectares available for investment. Sanitary landfills, with the generation of methane gas, could be another sector that Shell Energy Brasil could focus on in Minas.
Solar plants could generate up to 2,1 GW together
The state governor highlighted that the multinational's decision to invest in Minas Gerais is extremely important for the investment attraction policy to continue expanding. According to Zema, expanding the generation park and investing in infrastructure, with investments from cemig R$ 22 billion, the state will continue to expand.
If all the solar plants are built, the complexes can generate together about 2,1 GW, enough power to feed a city of 2 million inhabitants.
Work should begin in January of next year, with the first plant expected to start operating in January 2025. According to André Araújo, president of Shell Brasil, Minas Gerais is an essential part of Shell Energy's global purpose Brazil to generate more clean and renewable energy.
These projects have the capacity to reinforce the national generating park and represent the diversification of Shell's business in renewable energy. To get an idea of the volume of investment in solar plants, Minas Gerais currently has 2,4 GW of installed power for photovoltaic energy generation, according to data from Absolar, adding centralized generation and distributed generation. Shell's solar plants alone will have enough capacity to nearly double current capacity.
Minas Gerais is the first Brazilian state to commit to the campaign Race to zero
According to Fernando Passalio, Secretary of Economic Development, celebrating the installation of solar plants, Minas Gerais was the first state in South America to commit to the campaign Race to zero, which aims to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.
Shell Energy Brasil's goal of building 5 complexes in the state shows how committed governments and bodies are to attracting investments and how the current management is moving forward in prospecting significant projects in Minas Gerais.
“We had good contacts with manufacturers of equipment and inputs for the construction and maintenance of solar plants who are very interested in expanding their business to Latin America, and Minas Gerais is currently the best place for that. We are seeking to attract these companies and we are fully capable of making our state one of the world's hubs for renewable energy generation,” says Invest Minas director Ronaldo Alexandre Barquette.
