Atlas Renewable Energy, a renewable energy company in Latin America, along with British mining company Anglo American Plc, a global mining company, have signed the largest solar energy purchase and sale contract in Brazil with an investment of 881 Million Brazilian Reals (approximately $184 million). The clean energy supply will be through the Atlas Casablanca photovoltaic solar plant, located in the State of Minas Gerais, and is expected to supply about 9 TWh during the life of the contract with Anglo American for 15 years and will commence in 2022.
The Atlas Casablanca solar plant has an installed capacity of 330MW with more than 800,000 modules. The plant will produce enough energy to supply a city of 1.4 million inhabitants, according to the average consumption of a Brazilian family. This contract is part of Anglo American's strategy to use 100% renewable energy for its operations in Brazil as of 2022 and is part of Anglo American Sustainable Mining Plan which has among its goals to reduce by 30% its CO2 emissions by 2030.
Atlas Renewable Energy will use bifacial modules in the Atlas Casablanca solar plant, a cutting-edge technology in the generation of solar energy. These novel solar panels are able to use the reflection of the sun's rays from their front and back sides, increasing the efficiency of the photoelectric conversion, and therefore increasing the energy generation and efficiency of the plant.
As part of its commitment to the State of Minas Gerais, Atlas Renewable Energy will develop, in conjunction with local communities, plans that contribute to the improvement of their living conditions. During the construction and operation of the Atlas Casablanca project, different labor training programs, especially developed for the female work force will be implemented and the hiring of local labor will be prioritized.
Wilfred Bruijn, CEO of Anglo American in Brazil, commented, "With this agreement and the contract for the construction of a wind power plant in Bahia signed in December, we will now be sourcing 90% of our energy from renewable sources, leading to a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions associated with our activities."
Luis Pita, general manager of Atlas Renewable Energy for Brazil, emphasized, "This contract represents a leadership position by Anglo American to demonstrate its commitment to the use of renewable energy in its operations, as well as Atlas's ability to develop bilateral contracts for clean energy supply with top-level companies that share our interest in protecting and preserving the environment. The Atlas Casablanca project will be an important step in the development of the solar power in a state as important as Minas Gerais."
