- Enel will invest about 454 million euros, equivalent to about 2.5 billion reais, in the construction of Aroeira wind farm, located in the municipalities of Umburanas, Morro do Chapéu and Ourolândia
- When it is in full operation, Aroeira will be able to generate more than 1,800 GWh a year, avoiding the emission of more than 980,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere annually.
Rio de Janeiro, May 12th, 2022 - Enel Green Power Brasil, the renewable generation arm of the Enel Group in the country, has started the construction of the 348 MW Aroeira wind farm, located in the municipalities of Umburanas, Morro do Chapéu and Ourolândia, in Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia. Enel is investing about 454 million euros, the equivalent of about 2.5 billion reais, in the construction of the new wind project.
"The start of construction of the Aroeira project reaffirms Enel Green Power's permanent contribution to the expansion of renewable sources and the consequent diversification of the Brazilian energy matrix. Brazil has great potential to further accelerate the participation of wind and solar sources in the electricity system. We are currently the largest wind and solar operator in the country, and we will continue to play a leading role in green energy generation, contributing to the decarbonization of our activities and making available, in the free market, the clean energy generated in our projects so that customers and business partners also achieve their goals towards net zero,” highlights Roberta Bonomi, Head of Enel Green Power in Brazil. "The development of the Aroeira wind farm further consolidates our presence in Bahia, a state that has stood out in green energy generation for years. The new project is located in a region recognized for its wind potential and where the company has other ventures in operation.”
Aroeira wind farm will comprise 81 wind turbines and, when fully operational, will be able to generate more than 1,800 GWh a year. The output generated by the plant from a sustainability point of view has the potential to avoid the equivalent of more than 980,000 tonnes of CO2 every year, alongside avoiding the purchase of 345 million cubic meters of gas per year, replaced by domestically-produced renewable energy.
Given the scale of the project, Enel Green Power is using a variety of innovative tools and methods in the construction of the park, such as proximity sensors on machines to enhance construction safety, drones for surveying, smart tracking of construction site components, advanced digital platforms, and software solutions to remotely monitor and support activities on the construction sites. These processes and tools enable faster, more accurate, and reliable data collection, increasing the quality of construction and facilitating communication between teams on and off site. The company will also implement, during the construction works, a range of initiatives in line with Enel Green Power's "Sustainable Construction Site" model, such as the creation of an organic vegetable garden irrigated with reused water, the installation of solar panels to reduce the use of fossil fuel generators, the use of a lighting system with LED lamps, which reduces energy consumption by 85%, the capture of rainwater and the reuse of water in production processes, and awareness-raising actions with the site's employees for the proper use of natural resources in the region.
In Brazil, Enel Group has a total renewable installed capacity of more than 4.7 GW, of which over 2.1 GW are wind, about 1.2 GW solar and around 1.3 GW hydroelectric.
Enel Green Power®, within the Enel Group, develops and operates renewable energy plants worldwide and is present in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania. A world leader in clean energy, with a total capacity of more than 54 GW and a generation mix that includes wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric power, as well as energy storage facilities, Enel Green Power is at the forefront of integrating innovative technologies into renewable energy plants.