AmBev partners to build solar plant that will supply 100% of the distribution in MG

SÃO PAULO-Ambev has entered into partnership with paranaense Alexandria for building a solar power plant in Uberlândia (MG) that will supply all 13 distribution centers and points of the brewery in Minas Gerais with clean energy, giving one more step in toward the goal of having 100% of the Brazilian operations fed by renewable sources. "We're doing a feasibility study for the entire country, not only in solar energy, but in different renewable sources. Choose Minas Gerais to start by being one of the most viable States and where we could speed up the project, "more told Reuters the Director of sustainability and supplies of Ambev, Fernando Petersen. According to him, the brewery already discusses the expansion of the initiative to other States and study partners and sources of generation more appropriate to each case. "We are discussing what type of power generation by region makes more sense. In the South, for example, solar is not the most appropriate ", explained the Executive. In Minas Gerais, the agreement follows a model known as distributed generation and investment in construction of the power plant will be made by the Alexandria, which will pay out about 7 million dollars of the project and, in return, will receive 75% of Ambev value corresponding to the energy generated by a period of 10 years. After that, the plant will become the brewery. " We have implemented the plant to the customer and after amortizarmos the investment over the 10 years to transfer to them. Our purpose is to empower customers to produce their own energy, "added the President of Alexandria, Alexander Barrientos. In addition to solar power, the company based in Curitiba, who claims to be a fintech and operates in the construction of power plants zero cost and other technological solutions also develops projects with wind and biogas generation sources and between customers groups like Investment and positive Country. Barrow revealed that the project with Ambev will understand 5,340 solar panels, with some components imported from China and other countries, in addition to the manufactured by own Alexandria. According to him, the conversations with stretched for about a year and the contract was signed in mid-October. According to Petersen, Ambev, the solar power plant of Uberlândia and the others that will be built in the coming years will complement the electric truck initiative which has been developed with Volkswagen trucks and buses. The partnership with the German group was announced in August and provides for the use of at least 1,600 electric trucks until 2023, so that 35% of the fleet serving the beverage manufacturer is composed of clean energy-powered vehicles. " We're already doing calculation of structure and power generation capacity and the idea is that these power plants serving also the electric trucks, "said the Director of sustainability and supplies of Ambev, adding that the plant in Uberlândia should generate between 1,800 and 1,900 kWp of energy, avoiding the emission of 1,910 tons of CO2. The company has stepped up efforts in recent years to develop more sustainable business practices, with the ultimate goal to have 100% of operations using clean energy. Between 2013 and 2017, the brewery invested about 1 billion reais in sustainability projects.