Vale S.A., the global mining giant, will use Nextracker’s NX Horizon bifacially optimized smart solar trackers for its 766 megawatt (MWp) Sol de Cerrado solar project in Minas Gerais, Brazil. (PVTECH)
Construction of the solar complex, one of the largest in Brazil, will begin later this year and is slated for completion in 2022. The facility will comprise 17 sub-parks and cost $500 million. It will supply 13% of Vale’s energy needs in Brazil and be interconnected to the regional transmission grid.
Furthermore, the project will offset GHG Protocol Scope 2 emissions by up to 136,407 tons of CO2/ year. Vale has a target to produce all of its energy requirements in Brazil from renewable sources by 2025. By 2030, Vale will use only renewable energy for all its operations across the globe.
Nextracker has delivered or fulfilled close to 50 GW of the NX Horizon systems for projects on six continents, including some of the largest solar farms in the world.
The contract from Vale is the second major Brazilian market win for Nextracker this year. Recently, it secured a contract to supply its bifacially optimized trackers to the 830 MW Janaúba solar project in Minas Gerais.
Alejo Lopez, Nextracker vice president of sales for Latin America, said Vale’s project showed how the mining industry was embracing renewables to power operations and offset greenhouse gas emissions.
Read the full PVTECH article HERE.
Image Source: Nextracker