Brazilian renewable energy developer Ibitu Energia has formally commenced construction on its 1GW PV project that is located in Caldeirão Grande, a municipality in the Brazilian state of Piauí. The project will be developed in multiple phases and entail a total investment of BRL 4 billion. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on January 14. This story was first reported by local news outlets including Piauí Negócios and other renewable energy news websites.

Named Caldeirão Grande 2, the project will span an area of 800ha and deploy 2.5 million pieces of PV modules. The development of the project will be divided into three phases, with each phase expected to create around 900 new jobs. The initial investment is currently set at BRL 1 billion. It is worth noting that Ibitu Energia already installed 189MW of wind generation capacity at the project site.

Numerous government officials attended the groundbreaking ceremony. Wellington Dias, governor of Piauí said that his government is prioritizing investments in renewable energy, and the Caldeirão Grande project is a major milestone in the development of the entire state. Douglas Felipe, mayor of Caldeirão Grande, said that his city fully supports this venture as it will create employment opportunities and improve quality of life.

According to its official website, Ibitu Energia has a project portfolio of about 832MW that spreads across six Brazilian states. The company is currently planning to add another 1.2GW of wind, PV, and hybrid projects in the states of Piauí and Paraíba. The Piauí Association of Solar Energy Companies has also recently stated that Piauí is in third place in the ranking of the Brazilian states by PV generation.