NeoEnergia, a subsidiary of the Spanish power company Iberdrola, this Saturday officially announced the start of construction on the largest solar power plant in Fernando de Noronha (an island in northeastern Brazil). This will enable the decarbonization of power generation in this paradise archipelago, considered a natural heritage of humanity, until 2027.
The project will install 30,000 solar panels with a power generation capacity of 22 megawatts (MW) and will be integrated with an advanced battery storage system, making the main island of Fernando de Noronha the first island in Latin America to be equipped with a green energy matrix.
“Today, we are building something new for humanity in the sense that a more sustainable world with cleaner, more efficient and more competitive energy is possible,” Iberdrola President Ignacio Galan stressed during the event.
The 24.63-hectare Noronha Verde plant will require an investment of 350 million reais (approximately $65 million) and will serve approximately 3,100 island residents.
The battery storage system has a capacity of 49 MW per hour, equivalent to the consumption of 9,000 households on the continent.
The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026, with 16% of the plant handed over and fully operational in 2027.
For Galán, the initiative, implemented with the support of the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the State of Pernambuco and launched on the eve of the opening of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference COP30 in the Brazilian city of Belém, demonstrates the Iberdrola Group’s commitment to Brazil. To be precise, the motto of COP30 is “less promises, more action.”
The company plans to invest approximately 40 billion reais (approximately $7.5 billion) in Brazil between 2025 and 2029.
According to Eduardo Capelastegui, CEO of Neonergía, this new project will not only change the quality of life on the island, but also benefit the entire Brazilian electricity system, since at the level of operating costs the new system will be cheaper than the current system.
An ecological paradise for sustainable development
The 26 square kilometer ecological reserve of volcanic origin, consisting of 21 islands, rocks and islets, is located in the Atlantic waters in the northeast of the country, more than 500 kilometers from the capital Pernambuco.
Discovered in 1503, Noronha was used as a military base by Brazil and the United States during World War II and as a prison at various stages before becoming one of the country’s main tourist destinations.
Despite being an ecologically protected area with paradisiacal beaches and rich biodiversity, the main source of energy is the Tubaran power plant, which burns around 27,000 liters of diesel per day and emits around 21,000 tons of CO2 per year.
Therefore, once the new solar power plant is fully operational, Tubaran will play the role of guaranteeing the island’s energy security and will only operate in emergency situations.
“Once 100% decarbonization is achieved, subsequent initiatives such as urban mobility will be based on a 100% renewable matrix combined with the island being a UNESCO protected area,” he added.
To promote sustainable development in the region and bring Noronha to international standards, NeoEnergia has invested approximately 92.5 million reais (approximately $17 million) between 2020 and 2025.
bet on the sun
“We have a comprehensive program underway to make this island a reference point for the world,” Caperastegui said, referring to various initiatives designed by the company to promote sustainable development, including the “More for Noronha” program.
In this context, the company also announced this Saturday the delivery of the archipelago’s first floating solar power plant, which will avoid emissions of 717 tons of CO₂ per year.
The power plant, which has been in operation since September last year, was built on the Chareu dam and cost 10 million reais (approximately $2 million).
The archipelago currently has five power plants built by NeoEnergia, which account for 5% of the local energy demand (1,682 kilowatts at peak).
About The Author
