Apr 24, 2017

• The Atlantic Group’s project is budgeted at R$ 1.2 billion and has installed capacity of 207 (MW), enough to serve 1.2 million people
  
• The signing of the contract happened this Monday, 24, in a ceremony at Palácio Piratini, seat of the State Government

The Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) has approved  R$ 679 million funding to the enterprise Atlantic Energias Renováveis S.A. for deployment of the Santa Vitória do Palmar Wind Power Complex, in Rio Grande do Sul. The project, budgeted at R$ 1.2 billion, is formed by twelve farms and their associated transmission systems, with installed capacity of 207 megawatts (MW), enough to serve about 400,000 homes or 1,200,000 inhabitants.

Financial support from BNDES will be granted in a mixed manner, R$ 449 million being provided directly by BNDES FINEM and R$ 230 million by the Regional Development Bank of the South Region (BRDE). The project may also issue R$ 109 million in debentures of infrastructure.

The signing of the contract of funding of BNDES and BRDE with Atlantic happened this Monday, 24, in a ceremony at Palácio Piratini, seat of the Government of Rio Grande do Sul, with the presence of the Governor, José Ivo Sartori; the State Secretary of Economic Development, Science and Technology, Fábio Branco; the president of BRDE, Odacir Klein; the superintendent of the Energy department of BNDES, Carla Primavera, and the CEO of Atlantic, José Roberto de Moraes.

The energy of the Santa Vitória do Palmar Wind Complex was contracted in the 18th Auction of Energy Derived from New Generation Projects (A-5 Auction of 2013), held on 12/13/2013, and in the 19th Auction of Energy Derived from New Generation Projects (A-3 Auction of 2014), held on 6/06/2014.

Atlantic Energias Renováveis, controlled by the British group Actis, operates in Brazil in the development, implementation and operation of projects aimed at the generation of electric energy from renewable sources. Having its seat in Curitiba, Paraná, the enterprise has a portfolio with 29 assets in Brazil, one of those being a small hydro whereas 28 are wind farms, with 652 MW having been contracted, of which 318 MW has already been deployed in operational projects, located in the states of Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Bahia, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.

Works that have already been started – The works of the Santa Vitória do Palmar Wind Farm Complex were started in August 2015 and will include wind turbines from the enterprise Acciona, from Spain, installed in towers with 120 meters height, and with a generating capacity of 3 MW each. In total, there will be 69 next-generation wind turbines, connected to three substations that are already in operation.

The Complex currently has 111 MW in commercial operation. Of the 12 parks envisaged, five are already completed with 32 wind turbines having been installed. The conclusion of the works is expected to happen over 2017.

Impact on regional development – Located in 10,424 hectares of leased areas in the Southern Half, an economically depressed region of Rio Grande do Sul, the complex of Santa Vitória do Palmar will have relevant impacts on the local and regional development, stimulating economic diversification. During the construction of the parks, about 700 direct jobs will be generated, and 30 others during the operation stage. For being an investment in a renewable and clean energy source, the Complex will also contribute to the reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases.