Wind Energy

EDP plans to invest US$1.118 billion over the next two years in Brazil

Whilst presenting the group’s results for 2009, António Pita de Abreu noted that two thirds of total investment would be applied in electricity production and a third in electricity distribution. “Between 2005 and 2012 we hope to quadruple the group’s installed capacity to around 2,177 megawatts, the biggest percentage growth in the Brazilian electricity sector,” he noted.

Amongst the investments for the next two years, the highlight is construction of the Tramandaí wind farm, with production of 70 megawatts in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil, work on which is due to begin this month and finish at the end of the year. Currently, the Portuguese group operates 14 megawatts in two wind farms in the state of Santa Catarina, also in southern Brazil.

Another of the group’s projects that is still at an “early stage” is construction of a thermal power station in Rio de Janeiro state, in partnership with state company Petrobras, with an installed capacity of 500 megawatts.

In 2009, EDP’s profit in Brazil rose 60.8 percent to 625 million reals against 2008, the group’s “best ever result”, the chairman said.

In Brazil EDP controls distribution companies, Bandeirante (Sao Paulo), Escelsa (Esprito Santo state) and Enersul (Mato Grosso do Sul), as well as generation companies, EDP Lajeado, Energesy and Enerpeixe, and sales company Enertrade.

EDP Renováveis S.A. (“EDPR”) acquires 85% of Italian Wind srl, from Co-Ver group (an industrial conglomerate from the north of Italy), adding to its portfolio several wind turbines projects in Italy totalling 520 MW in different stages of maturity and in prime locations.

EDP Renováveis (EDP Renewables, Euronext: EDPR), a global leader in the renewable energy sector and fourth largest producer of wind energy in the world, announced a net profit of €114m in 2009, 10% up on 2008’s €104m profit.

EDP Renováveis (Euronext: EDPR), headquartered in Oviedo, Spain, is a global leader in the wind power. Energias de Portugal, S.A. ("EDP"), the majority shareholder of EDPR, is a vertically-integrated utility company, headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal. Through its various constituent businesses, EDP holds significant electricity and gas operations in Europe, Brazil and the United States. 

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