ENGIE has received the authorization from the Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (Aneel) for the commercial operation of the last three wind farms, out of a total of 11, in the Campo Largo 2 Wind Complex, located in the municipalities of Umburanas and Sento Sé, in the State of Bahia. At an investment of R$ 1.6 billion, the project has been instrumental in increasing the Company’s portfolio by 361.2 MW and  consequently, the same amount to the national electricity system. With this, ENGIE can now record a total installed capacity of 1,262.6 MW in wind energy in Brazil, more than 1 GW of it in Bahia alone when additionally, to Campo Largo 2, the Campo Largo 1 and Umburanas complexes are included, the latter two going into operation in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

“Existing synergies in the region, among them the same  substation, transmission line, site infrastructure and internal accesses, permitted an accelerated delivery of this project. In addition to the Covid-19 pandemic, the strong commitment and experience of our field teams were differentials in the management of this project in the midst of so many challenges”, said Eduardo Sattamini, Chief Executive and Investor Relations Officer of ENGIE Brasil Energia

Work on the Campo Largo 2 Complex began in July 2019 and the assembly of the first wind turbines, in July 2020, an activity which was conducted in parallel with the expansion of the substation and the installation of the medium voltage networks. The entry into commercial operations of the first wind farm took place in February 2021 and in August, the assembly of the 86 wind turbines concluded together with the commissioning of all the machines.

In the light of the size of the project, logistics for the transportation of heavy duty equipment and the Covid-19 pandemic were some of the major challenges the work presented. Overall, the new Complex generated approximately 2,200 jobs, the work force reaching as much of 1,500 at the peak of construction which was conducted along more than 40 parallel work fronts. About 4,600 tons of steel and 47  thousand m³ of concrete were employed in addition to the implementation of 75 kilometers of internal access roads and 101 kilometers of medium voltage networks with more than a thousand power line posts.

Commitment to the communities

In the promotion of social transformation and contributing to sustainable development and improvement in the quality of life of the local communities, ENGIE has invested more than R$ 17 million in social projects in the  region of Umburanas and Sento Sé since 2016. This includes initiatives in the areas of health, sport, safety, education  infrastructure and  leisure, among others.

“As energy generators and transmitters, we are umbilically tied to the communities surrounding our plants and projects, operating jointly to permit social  and  human development as well as fostering greater opportunities of prosperity for all. These aspects are inseparable from our businesses”, explains Sattamini.

Among the initiatives executed during the installation and operations of the Campo Largo 1, Umburanas and Campo Largo 2 wind complexes, special mention should be made of initiatives for training and the creation of income. Notable were the installation of an atelier for seamstresses and community vegetable garden; construction of  a community center, city square and sports court in addition to the modernization of a school and the creation of a Digital Empowerment Center, all of these generating opportunities for learning and entrepreneurship for the local community.

Investments in wind energy

ENGIE continues investing strongly in wind power as part of its contribution to the Group’s global target of having more than 90% of its EBTIDA generated from renewable sources.

Now, the Company’s efforts are turning to the Santo Agostinho  Wind Complex, in the municipalities of Lajes and Pedro Avelino, 120 km from Natal, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte. At an investment of R$ 2.3 billion, Santo Agostinho will have an installed capacity of 434 MW with a total of 70 wind turbines. The Complex will begin operations before the end of March 2023.

“Given its potential, the expansion of wind energy in Brazil is at the core of ENGIE’s growth strategy. We shall continue contributing to making the Brazilian electrical matrix  cleaner, remaining alert to all the opportunities for accelerating the transition towards a low carbon economy in the country”, Sattamini concludes.