Shizen Energy Completes Construction of First Solar Power Plant in Brazil
On July 12, 2019, Shizen Energia do Brasil Ltda (Location: Santos, Brazil/Representative hereinafter Shizen Brazil), the local joint venture of Japanese Shizen Energy Inc. (Headquarters: Arato, Chuo-Ku, Fukuoka-Shi, Fukuoka/Representative Directors: Ken Isono, Kenji Kawado, Masaya Hasegawa, hereinafter Shizen Energy) and MS Consultoria e Suporte (Headquarters: Feira de Santana, Brazil/represented by Bruno Suzart), and Espaço Y (Headquarters: Brasilia, Brazil/Representative Directors: Daltro Noronha, Flávio Barros, hereinafter Espaço Y), a Real Estate development company in Brazil, held the groundbreaking ceremony of the 1.1 MW solar power plant “CAPÃO SECO” located in Brasilia, Brazil. The construction of the plant began on January 29, 2019, and its interconnection was completed on July 12th, 2019. Shizen Energy plans to start commercial operation in August 2019.
The project uses part of the land from a local farm that produces organic chili pepper and tomatoes to operate its 1.1 MW (DC) mega-solar power plant. Off-takers of this project will be registered on a government-sponsored remote net-metering system (*), benefiting from discounted rates for cleaner energy.
Kenji Kawado, Representative Director of Shizen Energy, participated in the ceremony and noted: “We are very happy to have completed the construction of our very first overseas power plant. It is important to promote the use of renewable energy, especially in places such as Brazil, where demand for electricity is expected to grow significantly. Starting from this project, we will make further efforts for development and communication of renewable power generation in a way that influences people’s way of using energy.”
“Shizen Energy believes in the potential of the Brazilian energy market and therefore started its operations in the country in 2018, as well as its partnership with Espaço Y. The first fruits of this work resulted in the development of this pilot project, but we have plans to build more than 20MW of solar energy, “says Bruno Suzart, Shizen’s country manager in Brazil.
For Shizen, the development of sustainable energy matrices is the way the company aims to create energy for the future and, more importantly, change the way people and organizations consume energy. “Global expansion is one of the steps to achieve a commitment to transform the world,” concluded Suzart.
Brazil is among the 10 largest consumers of electricity in the world, presenting a positive profile of increased demand in the coming years. Renewable energy represents 80.3% of the installed capacity for generating electricity, with hydropower being the main source. However, strong political support has promoted other technologies, such as wind and solar, which have been developing rapidly since 2012.
*: “Net-metering” is a utility billing mechanism for distributed energy system owners. With net-metering, consumers are only billed for the difference between the energy purchased and consumed from the grid, and the energy generated by their own facilities. When the amount of generated power surpasses that of consumption, the surplus can be carried forward to the following month. In the U.S., net-metering is adopted in 43 out of 50 states and in Washington D.C. In November 2015, the Brazilian government revised its laws regarding net-metering and is facilitating the introduction of renewable energy.
[Project Outline]
| Name of facility | CAPÃO SECO |
| Location of PV Power Plant | Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil |
| PV power plant owner | Espaço Y and Shizen Brazil |
| Output of PV Power Plant | 1.1MW（DC） |
| Start of construction | 29th January, 2019 |
| Completion Date | 12th July, 2019 |
[Picture of the CAPÃO SECO solar power plant]
[About Espaço Y]
Founded 25 years ago, Espaço Y operates multiple businesses, including Real Estate development, construction, call center, and others. Espaço Y is a local reference in the construction, property, and telco industries. The company joined the renewable energy segment in 2018 after announcing a partnership with Japanese Shizen Brazil. Espaço Y’s stalwart is to develop great places to live, and to do so with a commitment to social responsibility and sustainable development.
- Headquarters: SHCN 202 Bloco A – salas 201/202/204, Brasília-DF, Brazil
- Representative Directors: Daltro Noronha, Flávio Barros
- Tel: +55 61-3035-0600
- URL: https://espacoy.com.br/
- Business: Property, Real Estate, Call Center.
[About Shizen Energy Inc.]
Founded in June 2011 with the mission of “Changing the World with Energy,” Shizen Energy contributes to the generation of approximately 1 gigawatt (as of the end of February 2019) worth of renewable energy across Japan. It is engaged in all services required for the installation and operation of solar, wind power, small hydroelectric and other renewable energy power plants, such as development and EPC (engineering, procurement, construction), O&M (operation and maintenance), and asset management. The company has begun the constructions of the photovoltaic power plants around the world since 2018 starting from Asia and South American Region such as Indonesia and Brazil.
- Headquarters: Fukuoka Ohori Bldg. 3F/6F, 1-1-6 Arato, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
- Representative Directors: Ken Isono, Kenji Kawado, Masaya Hasegawa
- Tel: 092-753-9834
- URL: http://www.shizenenergy.net/en/
- Business: Electricity generation (IPP) with solar, wind power, small hydroelectric and other renewable energy power plants, business development, funding procurement, asset management, electricity retail for individuals and businesses
