Piauí, the new border of clean energy

The State is being highlighted in power generation from renewable sources. New projects may transform it in the largest producer of solar energy in the country

Piauí is being highlighted as one of the states with higher investments in power generation from renewable sources. The state may become the largest producer of solar energy in the country and one of the largest producers of Latin America. Some factors may explain this boom. With its tropical climate and high average temperatures (varying between 18° and 39° C), Piauí has intense sunlight during the entire year, mainly in drought periods—during September and December—with 12 hours of insolation per day. This availability of sunlight favors the development of photovoltaic electricity. At the same time, strong winds make easy wind power generation, mainly at night. This boosts hybrid generation.

“Strong and constant sun and winds are our main wealth. The wind and photovoltaic potential of Piauí makes possible the production of hybrid energy and allows inland development”, says the state governor José Wellington Barroso de Araújo Dias. Germany—one of the reference countries in the development of solar production and generation—has just 1/20 of the production potential of Piauí. Talking just about solar energy, there are 82 projects in the state that are registered and approved by the Empresa de Pesquisa Energética (EPE) and are ready to be auctioned by the federal government. In São João do Piauí, for example, there are seven projects being installed and four being proposed. Together, they may produce 1600 MW.

In addition to the existing natural resources, another advantage of Piauí is the availability of areas for plant installation, as well as the presence of power transmission lines crossing the whole state. Fiscal and financial incentives offered by the state government—that created the Programa Piauiense de Produção de Energia Limpa (Propidel)—are also offered. The plan does not only incentive the installation of generation plants but also establishes different tax treatment for the companies that manufacture inputs and equipment for solar and wind power generation in the state. “People who invest in renewable energy in Piauí has total support of the government, solid conditions for a successful investment and good profits”, says Wellington Dias, pointing out that the regulatory framework and the policy carried out by the state—that guarantees support to the investors—is attracting more and more power companies to Piauí. “We have also the perspective of a new auction of solar power that will allow the generation of 600 MW. This will turn Piauí in the largest producer of photovoltaic electric power in the country”, completes the governor.

One of the companies that are betting in Piauí is Enel Green Power Brasil, subsidiary of Italian company Enel, which is investing approximately US$ 300 million to build the solar plant of Nova Olinda. The project was started in July, 2016 and is financed with its own resources. Once it is concluded—in the second half of this year—it will be the largest solar plant of Latin America. Nova Olinda is located in an area of 690 hectares at the municipality of Ribeira do Piauí, in the southwest of the state, approximately 380 km from the capital, Teresina.

The plant will have an installed capacity of 292 MW and may generate more than 600 GW/h per year, enough to support yearly consumption necessities of approximately 300 thousand homes.