Aluminum industry gears up to take advantage of solar power expansion

Campinas, Sorocaba and aluminum-aluminum industry wants to take advantage of the expected growth of 36 times the installed capacity of photovoltaic system until 2018 to boost the production of inputs for solar energy capture cards.
According to the Brazilian Association of photovoltaic Solar energy (Absolar), the Country ended last year with a production of 90 megawatts (MW), and terminate in 2017 1,000 MW. For 2018, however, this capacity is expected to jump to 3,300 MW, on the completion of deliveries contracted by energy auctions held between 2013 and 2015.
"We had in this year's first great period of supply of contracted projects, feeding demand from manufacturers of equipment and components for solar power generation," says the President of Absolar, Rodrigo Samer.
With the expected growth for the next few years, the industries which supply the solar sector began to invest to meet increased demand. The requirement of the Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES) to free up credit lines for manufacturers of panels that use at least 40% of items manufactured locally attracted the attention of the Brazilian Company of aluminum (CBA).
The first link in the chain, the CBA has adapted a part of your production line, located in the city of Alumínio (Metropolitan region of Sorocaba, São Paulo State), for the development of the frames, which are aluminum frames that hold the panels within the solar parks- in the first operation of its kind in South America.
"Before everything was imported. But now if a company chooses to get a line of credit at BNDES, have to be a part of the components with local content. This encouraged us to accelerate investments in that area, "says the Director of the business transformed from the CBA, Fernando Varella.
According to him, the initial production capacity of panels kits is 2.2 million units per year, and currently only 55% of this capacity is in use. The company does not disclose the investment but States that can enlarge the area intended for the production of frames in case of a high in demand.
Vahdati says that, for now, all kits are sold by Canadian Solar-Flex, in Sorocaba (SP). However, he added that new customers are already testing the frames of the CBA. "There is a complexity in production to ensure the accurate fitting of sizing and plates. Photovoltaic cells are imported and any problem in the frame can generate a huge prejudice, "says Varela.
Between the differentials of aluminum for use in panels is the durability of approximately 25 years, due to the weather and corrosion resistance, explains the Chief Executive of the Brazilian Aluminum Association (ABAL), Milton Rego.
Investments
The Canadian Solar intends to invest about R $2.3 billion in Brazil, intended for implementation of projects totaling approximately of 400 megawatts peak (MWp) solar energy. "We installed in Sorocaba exactly to meet the local content requirement from BNDES," says the General Manager of the company in the country, Wladimir Janousek.
According to him, the company follows closely the developments of the next power auction, planned for the end of the year, which shall contain the solar array, so you can expand your capacity. Currently, the company has a plant in Pirapora (Minas Gerais).
Responsible for one of the first solar parks of Brazil, installed in Campinas (SP), whose production is equivalent to 600 supply houses, Renewable in CPFL also intends to new auctions, with a capacity of up to 3,000 MW.
Another is investing, but in this case, without contributions from BNDES, is the Italian Enel, which applied $ $700 million in two projects, in Bahia and Piauí, which began operating this month, and will have 1,150 MW capacity, when they are at full load. /* The reporter travelled at the invitation of Abal