Commercial, Solar, Sourcing Renewables  -  January 18, 2024

Votorantim Cimentos Purchases 100 MW of Solar

Votorantim Cimentos, a construction materials and sustainable solutions company, signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to purchase 100 MW of solar energy over the course of the next 15 years. 

The agreement was signed with Atlas Renewable Energy, a global company that provides renewable energy solutions for corporations. 

The solar energy provided through this agreement will support the energy needs of Votorantim Cimentos' production units and distribution centers located in the South, Southeast, and Midwest regions of Brazil.

The solar power produced will be responsible for around a third of Votorantim Cimentos' energy consumption in the country.

The new energy generation will come from Atlas' Luiz Carlos Solar Project, located in the municipality of Paracatu, Minas Gerais, which will have an installed capacity of 787 MWp, of which almost two-thirds (470 MWp) will be destined for Votorantim Cimentos.

"This project is an important step in our decarbonization journey and is aligned with Votorantim Cimentos' 2030 Sustainability Commitments. In all the regions where we operate, our focus is to intensify efficiency and incorporate the use of renewable energy, increasing the volume of self-produced clean energy we consume and, consequently, our competitiveness, generating benefits for society and the planet," said Álvaro Lorenz, Global Sustainability Director at Votorantim Cimentos, in a statement.

Votorantim Cimentos' goal is to have 45% of the energy consumed globally come from renewable sources by 2030. With this new project, 75% of the energy consumed by the company in Brazil will come from clean sources.

In the state of Bahia, the company operates the concession for the 160-megawatt Pedra do Cavalo Hydroelectric Plant, as well as owning four Small Hydroelectric Plants (SHPs) in other locations and participating in the Machadinho Hydroelectric Plant (HPP) consortium in southern Brazil. In 2022, the company signed an agreement with Auren to build a wind farm in the northeast of Brazil, with a capacity of 220 megawatts, The project went into operation in early 2023, adding 55 average MW of renewable energy to its portfolio.