Brazilian Bank Seeking 8 GWh Solar PV Annually

• A public call for three bidding rounds will be held by Banco do Brasil to seek solar power from distributed generation PV projects
• The bids will be carried out on September 10 and 11, 2019 for 4 GWh of capacity to be procured annually in the federal district and 2 GWh each for its branches in the states of Pará and Goiás
• All this power will help the bank save around BRL 20 million at 96 branches

Brazilian bank Banco do Brasil (BB) has called for bids to procure a total of 8 GWh solar PV power annually through distributed generation systems. This power is expected to help the bank save BRL 20 million ($4.92 million) for its 96 branches spread in the federal district in the states of Pará and Goiás.

It is looking at procuring at least 4 GWh annually in the federal district and 2 GWh per year in Pará and Goiás. The bank will start paying for the plants once these are operational.

A public call for the three bidding rounds to lease the PV systems will begin on September 10, 2019 for the federal district at 8.30 am and for Pará at 12.30 pm, while for Goiás the time has been fixed for September 11, at 9.30 am, to be held electronically.

This isn't the first time BB has launched a tender seeking solar PV power from distributed generation systems, but it claims to be the first public sector entity to bid on the distributed generation rental model. It held first two bids in July 2018 and July 2019 to meet electricity requirements of 200 state branches. The first plant in Porteirinha region will be ready by the end of 2019 and the second is currently contracted. Both the projects will cost a total investment of BRL 88.3 billion ($21.7 billion) and are expected to lead to 58% in savings on electricity bills for BB.

The bank is also actively lending solar power projects in the country (see BRL 487Mn For Canadian Solar's Brazilian PV Plants).