Boa Sorte, Hydro Rein's milestone solar plant project begins its commercial operations in Brazil

The 438-megawatt (MW) solar complex, Boa Sorte, located in Minas Gerais, Brazil, has commenced its commercial operations. This expansive power plant is set to provide renewable energy to the Albras aluminium smelter.

The solar plant, which comprises multiple projects, is the result of collaboration between renewable energy solution providers Hydro Rein and Atlas Renewable Energy, alongside Albras. Albras is a joint venture between Hydro and Nippon Amazon Aluminium Co. Ltd. (NAAC).

About Boa Sorte 

With its substantial installed capacity of 438 MW, Boa Sorte is projected to generate approximately 920 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually. This output is equivalent to powering over 394,000 Brazilian households with clean, sustainable energy. Boa Sorte marks the second significant solar plant project by Hydro Rein in Brazil. Earlier in March 2024, Hydro Rein, alongside partners Scatec and Equinor, initiated operations at the Mendubim solar plant in Rio Grande do Norte.

"We are proud to reach this impressive achievement for a solar project contributing greatly to Hydro's decarbonization journey in Brazil. Hydro Rein's mission is to develop renewable energy solutions for more sustainable industries. This is what we're doing with Boa Sorte," commented Marcela Jacob, Head of Hydro Rein in Brazil.

Reaching ambitious sustainability benchmarks

This latest development, Boa Sorte, was completed on schedule and within budget. It exemplifies Hydro Rein's dedication to ambitious sustainability benchmarks, such as the International Finance Corporation Performance Standards (IFC PS) and Equator Principles.

Boa Sorte's primary purpose is to provide renewable energy to Albras, Brazil's largest primary aluminium producer. Through a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) from 2025 to 2044, the solar plant will furnish approximately 12 per cent of Albras' total energy consumption, solidifying its role in the country's sustainable energy landscape.

"This is a significant milestone for Albras to secure our long-term strategy of greener aluminium production. With this investment we are securing Albras long term energy sourcing as well as diversifying our energy matrix, and by investing in renewable sources we reinforce our commitment to be part of the solution for the green transition. We want to contribute to creating a fair society by producing responsibly using renewable energy as concepted since the startup," stated João Batista Menezes, Albras CEO.

Hydro Rein has collaboratively developed the project with Atlas Renewable Energy, an esteemed international renewable energy company renowned for its strong presence and successful projects throughout Latin America.

“Boa Sorte is a significant project for us because it marked our initial PPA to supply clean energy to Albras. This successful collaboration has been repeated in Vista Alegre, which is currently under construction. Boa Sorte is also unique given it was our first solar project in Brazil to secure a dollar indexed loan from BNDES. Moreover, Boa Sorte stands as a testament to our commitment to delivering projects on time and on budget, contributing to our 100 percent completion rate track record,” said Fabio Bortoluzo, Country Manager for Atlas Renewable Energy in Brazil.