Atlas Renewable Energy signed a large-scale solar energy contract in Brazil. The clean energy supply will be through the Jacaranda photovoltaic solar plant, located in Juazeiro, the State of Bahía, and is expected to supply over 440GWh per year that will mostly be used to serve Dow under a 15-year duration contract, with offtake starting in the first half of 2021.

The Jacaranda solar plant will have an installed capacity of 187MWp with more than 450,000 modules. The plant will generate enough energy to supply a sizable part of Dow’s Aratu Site’s energy needs. According to the average consumption of a Brazilian family, the amount of energy generated will be equivalent to supply enough power to a city of +750,000 inhabitants.

The Jacarandá project will be neighboring the Eng. Manoel de Andrade solar plant and will make use of its digital substation, furthermore, the Jacarandá project will host bi-facial module technology. These solar panels use the reflection of the sun’s rays from their front and back sides, increasing the efficiency of the photoelectric conversion.

Execution of the Jacarandá project is expected to have a maximum of 1,200 workers, of which 70% is expected to be from the local workforce.