An event took place today in the town of Bom Jesus da Lapa to celebrate the opening of the Lapa Solar Park, one of three solar generation projects built by Enel Green Power (EGP) in Bahia. State Governor Rui Costa, EGP manager Luigi Parisi and Carlo Zorzoli, Enel Brasil Country Manager attended the ceremony. In total, Enel Group invested US$685m in the construction of the Lapa, Ituverava and Horizonte Parks, all three within the state.
Comprising two plants – Bom Jesus da Lapa (80 MW) and Lapa (78 MW) – the Lapa Park began generating energy in May 2017 and already operates at full capacity. The station can generate around 340 GWh a year, enough to fulfil the annual consumption needs of more than 166,000 Brazilian homes and preventing about 198,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
“We are proud to open the Lapa Park, which was the first photovoltaic plant to begin operations from the projects of the 2015 reserve auction, in addition to being the first of three solar projects that we are completing this year in the state of Bahia, where we already have half of Enel’s renewable installed capacity in Brazil”
The town of Bom Jesus da Lapa is located in an area with high levels of solar radiation. The project has an economically efficient design, with new solutions in tracking and conversion units that optimise production. Furthermore, a new commissioning strategy has been implemented, allowing a reduction of 70% in the average time needed to get the plant operation-ready.
During the Lapa construction, Enel developed several initiatives such as training courses for electricians to promote the social development of the areas close to the park, in line with the Creating Shared Value (CSV) approach.
Leader in the Brazilian solar generation market
In Brazil, Enel Group, through its subsidiaries EGPB and Enel Brasil, has a total installed capacity in renewables of 2,276 MW, of which 670 MW in wind power, 716 MW in solar energy and 890 MW in hydroelectric power, as well as a further 275 MW of capacity currently under construction, 172 MW of which in wind and 103 MW in solar.
Enel Green Power, the Renewable Energy division of Enel Group, is dedicated to the development and operation of renewable energy around the world, with a presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Enel Green Power is a global leader in the green energy sector with a managed capacity of 39 GW including wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and hydroelectric energy, and it is at the forefront of the integration of innovative technologies such as storage systems within renewable energy plants.