Brazil’s Minas Gerais: Global steel giant ArcelorMittal and clean energy developer Atlas Renewable Energy are known to have successfully completed the construction of a large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, paving the way for the industrial sector’s transition to renewable energy and advancing efforts toward energy self-sufficiency and corporate decarbonization.
Phase B of the Luiz Carlos Solar Park project was completed 90 days ahead of schedule, demonstrating the partners’ dedication to effective execution and bolstering trust in solar energy as a dependable power source for heavy industry. The plant is intended to produce an average of 74 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity per year with a total installed capacity of 315-megawatt peak (MWp), which will significantly contribute to ArcelorMittal’s long-term energy strategy.
Completing this solar park is a crucial part of ArcelorMittal Brazil’s broader efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the board and transition to more environmentally friendly energy sources. The solar project is part of a larger R$895 million investment to provide the company’s industrial operations throughout Brazil with self-sufficiency in renewable electricity generation.
According to Everton Negresiolo, CEO of ArcelorMittal Long Steel LATAM, this initiative is a significant shift in how energy-intensive businesses may integrate renewable energy into their primary operations. By directly using solar power at scale, ArcelorMittal is open about how it intends to reduce reliance on grid electricity sourced from fossil fuels, minimize operational expenses, and increase competitiveness in a market that is growing increasingly concerned with sustainability.
Negresiolo emphasized that the electricity produced by Luiz Carlos Solar Park will exclusively be used at ArcelorMittal installations. This deliberate action enhances energy security and aligns with long-term environmental goals. This project supports the company’s ambitious goal of using only renewable energy by 2030. This objective reflects global decarbonization trends as well as rising stakeholder expectations for climate leadership.
One can see how, to maximize energy generation throughout the day, the solar park uses 516,000 bifacial solar methods that can capture sunlight from both sides of the panels. Additionally, it’s also clear how it uses sophisticated tracking systems to align the panels with the path of the sun so it could maximize the production of electricity.
It’s undeniable that the site is noteworthy, as it is Atlas Renewable Energy’s first project in Brazil to use trunk cable technology, which is a cutting-edge cable solution that improves safety during construction as well as operation, which results in making installation easier and increases reliability. Through the use of preassembled trunk systems in place of the typical conventional individual cable installations, the technology improves efficiency and organization throughout the electrical network.
Its 65-kilometer, 500-kV transmission line that links the facility to Brazil’s National Interconnected System (SIN) is another feature of the solar park, which guarantees the smooth integration of sustainable energy into the local grid infrastructure.
With the useful use of this transmission network, a step-up substation, and connections at the Paracatu 4 substation, renewable energy might be continuously and widely distributed across the system.
One can see how this very strategic partnership between ArcelorMittal and Atlas Renewable Energy shows the importance of public-private collaboration in expanding renewable capacity. Fabio Bortoluzo states that Atlas’s expertise is in delivering tailored, high-quality clean energy solutions on schedule. The success of the Luiz Carlos Solar Park paves the way for further Latin American investments, giving an example that solar power, combined with modern infrastructure and planning, drives corporate sustainability and economic resilience.
One can see that the Luiz Carlos Solar Park illustrates how innovative renewable projects can promote sustainable industry growth and enhance regional energy security.
