Faced with the challenge of decarbonizing the Brazilian energy matrix, a crucial question still remains: how to bring clean and reliable electricity to more than three million people living in isolated communities of the SIN (National Interconnected System), especially in the State of Amazonas – which has an area of around 1,5 million km² and several locations accessible only by rivers.
In these scenarios, hybrid systems – which combine thermal generation, solar energy and battery storage – have proven to be a viable solution to ensure uninterrupted energy supply to local communities with less environmental impact.
According to a study by IEMA (Institute of Energy and Environment), the Northern subsystem — which includes the Amazon — was responsible for almost 30% of the electricity generated by fossil fuel thermoelectric plants in public service in Brazil. In view of this, the partial or total replacement of this matrix by renewable sources has been a priority in public projects, through programs such as the More Light for the Amazon, when private – from investments made by companies.
Community adopts system with 373 kWp of solar power
On May 29, the riverside community of Caiambé, in the district of Tefé, in the interior of Amazonas, on the banks of the Solimões River, began operating with a new hybrid system installed by Aggreko. The structure brings together 1,4 MW of thermal generation, 373 kWp of solar power and a 1 MW storage system, capable of generating annual savings of 130 thousand liters of diesel and a reduction of 405 tons of CO₂ — the equivalent of planting around 2 thousand trees.
“The challenge is not only technical, it is also logistical, climatic and cultural. Developing solutions for this context, respecting the local way of life and addressing access limitations, is what makes this project so innovative and transformative,” said Cristiano Lopes Saito, Aggreko’s Utilities Sales Director in Brazil.
Last Monday (2), the DOU (Official Gazette of the Union) published the preliminary result of the public call for the program Pro-Legal Amazon – CGPAL, linked to the MME (Ministry of Mines and Energy). The initiative aims to reduce the structural costs of energy generation in the region and expand the navigability of the Madeira and Tocantins rivers.
The selected projects include numbers 1, 2, 3 and 5, which include 23 other Amazonian communities currently served by Aggreko. The goal is to implement 88 MWp of solar generation and 105 MWh in storage systems, consolidating the hybrid model as a reference for remote areas of the Legal Amazon.
Autazes also benefits from technology
Another successful example is the municipality of Autazes, in the interior of Amazonas, with more than 41 thousand inhabitants, which now has a hybrid system capable of fully meeting its energy demand. In total, the installation has 3,4 thousand solar s, capable of generating 2,1 MW of clean energy.
The solution, implemented by VPower – in partnership with Fictor Energia and the WTT Group, owner of Enerwatt – guaranteed economic and environmental gains for the region. The solution, implemented by VPower – in partnership with Fictor Energia and the WTT Group, owner of Enerwatt – guaranteed economic and environmental gains for the region.
“Diesel consumption was reduced by 8%, resulting in a direct drop in operating costs. Environmentally, the initiative reduced carbon emissions by more than 5 tons per year,” explained the Director of New Business at VPower Brasil.
The project also incorporated battery storage technology, allowing the use of surplus energy generated during the day to meet nighttime demand. According to the executive, the fluidity in the project’s execution was a differentiator. “I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude for the excellent work of the Enerwatt team, who delivered the project on time with exceptional results,” concluded Tai.
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