Renewable energy developer Scatec, oil and gas producer Equinor and Norsk Hydro subsidiary Hydro Rein, all from Norway, have energized the 531 MW Mendubim Solar Plant in Brazil. The Rio Grande do Norte located project is now powering Alunorte's alumina refinery located in the state of Pará.
All 3 companies own a 30% stake in the joint venture (JV) that developed and now operates the facility.
Around 60% of the power generated is contracted under a 20-year USD-denominated power purchase agreement (PPA) with alumina producer Alunorte. The latter owns the remaining 10% stake in the project. The remaining power is to be sold in the open power market in Brazil (see Latin America PV News Snippets).
Alunorte says the solar power contract for Mendubim is part of its decarbonization plans for the refinery to make it one of the lowest carbon emitting refineries in the world by 2030, with net zero emissions by 2040.
Calling it the world's largest alumina refinery outside China, Alunorte says the refinery has a nominal alumina production capacity of 6.3 million tons/year. Alumina as the raw material is used to make aluminum.
State-owned Equinor says Mendubim expands its equity power production in Brazil by 30%. It also marks the company's entry into the de-regulated power market of the South American nation that Equinor claims accounts for about 40% of the total consumption.
Equinor already operates the 162 MW Apodi Solar Plant in the country brought online in 2018 with Scatec. It also counts over 1.5 GW pipeline of solar and onshore wind projects here through its subsidiary Rio Energy.