Equinor and its Brazilian subsidiary, Rio Energy, have begun commercial power generation at the Serra da Babilônia Solar facility in Brazil. The new solar project is located alongside the existing Serra da Babilônia Wind complex, making it Equinor’s first hybrid asset that combines 140 MW of solar capacity with 223 MW of wind capacity. According to Helge Haugane, Equinor’s executive vice president for Power, hybrid renewable projects are an important part of the company’s strategy because they integrate different energy technologies to support a more stable and reliable supply.
By blending solar and wind resources, which produce electricity at different times of the day and across different seasons, these projects help reduce intermittency and improve overall grid stability. The Serra da Babilônia Solar facility also benefits from operating next to the wind project. The two assets share existing infrastructure and achieve efficiencies during operation and maintenance, resulting in significant cost savings compared to a standalone solar development. The solar portion of the hybrid complex is expected to generate around 236 GWh of electricity each year, enough to meet the needs of about 143,000 households in Brazil. The power will be marketed and sold through Equinor’s trading company, Danske Commodities, which operates in the Brazilian power market.
Veronica Coelho, Equinor’s senior vice president and country manager for Brazil, says the project strengthens Equinor’s long-term growth plans in the country. She noted that Equinor already has a strong position in Brazil through oil and natural gas projects, including the Raia development, which will supply roughly 15% of the country’s total gas demand. With Serra da Babilônia Solar now active, Equinor has close to 600 MW of solar and wind capacity in production in Brazil, further supported by Danske Commodities’ trading operations based in São Paulo.
The Serra da Babilônia Solar project is the first delivered by Rio Energy since becoming a wholly owned Equinor subsidiary. Equinor acquired Rio Energy in 2023 along with its 223 MW wind complex and a pipeline of additional renewable energy projects. Rio Energy now serves as Equinor’s platform for expanding onshore power production in Brazil, drawing on more than a decade of experience in the country’s renewable sector. Overall, Equinor’s power portfolio in Brazil includes around 600 MW of operating solar and wind capacity.
This includes the Serra da Babilônia wind and solar complex in Bahia, both operated by Rio Energy and fully owned by Equinor. The company also holds stakes in the Apodi solar complex (162 MW) in Ceará and the Mendubim solar complex (531 MW) in Rio Grande do Norte, both operated by Scatec. In addition, Rio Energy is advancing a 1.5 GW pipeline of future onshore wind and solar opportunities. Equinor’s trading arm, Danske Commodities, plays an important role in supporting the company’s strategy by helping optimise production and market value through its São Paulo trading office.
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