EDP signs solar energy contract with GPA until 2026
With the transaction, 40 Minuto Pão de Açúcar stores will start using renewable energy, avoiding the emission of 648.5 tons of CO2
EDP, a company that operates in all segments of the electricity sector, has signed a two-year contract with GPA, the retail group that owns the Pão de Açúcar and Extra retail brands, for the generation of solar energy in the shared distributed generation model. In total, 40 units of Minuto Pão de Açúcar stores located in the state of São Paulo will receive renewable energy credits.
The contract provides for the supply of 16.8 GWh (701.85 MWh/month), from 2024 to 2026, from photovoltaic plants located in the municipalities of Lorena, Santa Adélia, Leme, Pirangi and Iperó, in the interior of São Paulo state. With the transaction, GPA should avoid the emission of 648.5 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) by the end of the contract.
This partnership strengthens GPA's sustainability strategy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, one of the company's priority areas. "Our goal is to increasingly evolve in the environmental management of our business, seeking sustainable and efficient solutions, not only in the energy field – as we are doing with EDP – but throughout the production chain. By choosing to use energy from photovoltaic plants, we reinforce the importance of the energy transition to lower impact and low-carbon grids," explains Renata Amaral, Sustainability Manager at GPA.
"The closing of this contract with one of the main groups in the food retail sector in Brazil reinforces our strategy to lead solar distributed generation and the energy transition in the country. We have invested in the expansion of our solar generation capacity, seeking to strengthen the package of renewable energy products available to our customers and contributing to more and more companies decarbonizing their businesses and having more sustainable operations," says Carlos Andrade, Vice President of Customer Solutions at EDP in South America.
Investments in distributed solar generation
As part of its strategy to lead the energy transition, EDP has been making investments in distributed solar generation in Brazil. By 2026, the company expects to reach an installed capacity of around 500 MWp, with annual investments of approximately R$ 600 million. Currently, EDP has 90 distributed generation solar plants in Brazil, with a total installed capacity of 258 MWp. Of this total, 76 plants (209 MWp) are in operation, 89 MWp of which are dedicated to shared distributed generation. Another 14 plants (49 MWp) are under construction or awaiting energization.
About EDP in South America
The EDP group operates in 30 markets and is present in four regions, North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and South America. In South America, EDP is active in the energy generation, transmission, distribution and supply segments, as well as in the development, construction and maintenance of wind, solar and green hydrogen assets, with assets totalling 41 billion Brazilian reais (BRL), making it the second largest operation of the group. The company has more than 12,000 direct and outsourced employees. In Brazil, EDP also offers energy solutions aimed at the B2B market, such as distributed solar generation, electric mobility, and energy sales on the open market. Its Distribution business serves about 3.8 million customers in the state of São Paulo and the state of Espírito Santo. A leader in ESG, EDP has once again been recognised as the most sustainable electricity company in the world by the Dow Jones index, in addition to being included in Bloomberg's Gender Equality Index. EDP won the Top Employer 2024 award in the European and the South American (Brazil, Chile and Colombia) markets, and has also been elected the most innovative company in the Brazilian electricity sector by the financial publication Valor Econômico for four consecutive years.