This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil Bilateral cooperation in various fields has achieved tangible results both sides have expanded the scale of agricultural trade and strengthened cooperation in agricultural development China is a major destination for Brazilian exports the Chinese market is of strong attraction and strategic importance China has been the largest export market for Brazilian beef for many years Brazil's beef exports to China accounted for 54.9 percent of its total beef exports China authorized 38 Brazilian meatpacking plants to export meat in March 2024 increasing the total number of plants to 144 More meat plants exporting to China will create more jobs and boost local economic development in Brazil's inland regions secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture's Secretariat of Trade and International Relations Brazilian enterprises have participated in the China International Import Expo for six consecutive years coffee and other specialty agricultural products becoming familiar to Chinese consumers chief minister of the Economic and Commercial Department of the Chinese Embassy in Brazil visited Mato Grosso in February a Brazilian representative said "The Chinese are our biggest buyers of soybeans and grains the China-Brazil agricultural mechanization cooperation demonstration project was launched in Apodi It focuses on promoting the application of smart agricultural innovation technologies such as precision sowing and fertilization and mechanized harvesting on Brazilian farms harvesters and supporting agricultural machinery from China were officially delivered to Brazil visiting demonstration operations in nine states in northeastern Brazil Chinese experts shared the benefits of agricultural mechanization knowledge with local farmers Chinese agricultural machinery and agricultural solutions have gradually been favored by the Brazilian market and helped Brazilian farmers improve their productivity of the 16 types of drones approved to date by Brazil's Civil Aviation Agency Drones are widely used in Brazil's agricultural sector China and Brazil released a joint statement on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership in April 2023 The statement affirmed the strategic significance of bilateral cooperation in agriculture and trade of agricultural products and pledged to strengthen dialogue to promote the development of trade in food and agricultural products the two sides also signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Social Development and Combating Hunger and Poverty which expanded the scope of China–Brazil agricultural cooperation research institutions from both countries are also taking action South China Agricultural University has signed cooperation agreements with Brazilian universities and research institutions including the University of Brasilia "China is a great engine for the Brazilian agro-industry," said the Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva while on his visit to China last year Two recent expos — the fifth edition of the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) and the 137th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (the Canton Fair) — have once again solidified the country's role as a cornerstone of global commerce a reasoning large language model (LLM) by Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen (Qwen) has been integrated with the scientific research of several institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) facilitating research on solar flare and water resources on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau New analysis suggests that Europe’s electricity demand may not grow as expected with significant implications for the region’s energy transition and industrial future While governments and system operators predicted up to a 7% annual rise in demand by 2030, a new report from McKinsey & Company finds growth will likely be closer to 2% with the possibility that up to 40% of the projected increase won’t materialize at all This slower demand growth could drive up energy costs and speed industrial decline in Europe View our latest digests The new research addresses expectations for increasing electricity demand linked to rising populations and GDP growth combined with the ongoing energy transition and the shift off fossil fuels The expansion of data centres and energy needs linked to AI are also expected to increase demand With climate commitments hinging on widespread adoption of technologies like heat pumps and electric vehicles projections have anticipated rapid growth in consumption by buildings and transport raising concerns about grid capacity being overwhelmed by rising electricity demand Though the technologies are still on the rise, the growth is not as high as had been expected battery EV and plug-in hybrid sales continued to grow by 21% in 2023 As McKinsey reported this past summer, many announced deals to deploy decarbonization technologies have yet to be finalized, creating a “reality gap” between the perceived uptake of new technology and the actual capital invested Other factors moderating the expected electricity demand growth include elevated power prices and structural changes in the economy linked to deindustrialization Its research also anticipates that “considerable” gains in energy efficiency will reduce future demand “Lower-than-expected electricity demand growth in Europe could significantly impact overall system costs—and the path of the energy transition and Europe’s broader economic conditions,” McKinsey writes advising that stakeholders across the energy value chain should monitor trends and adjust their strategies Copyright 2025 © Energy Mix Productions Inc Equinor signed an agreement to acquire a 40% share in the construction ready project in October 2017. The Apodi asset is located in the municipality of Quixeré, Ceará State in Brazil. The asset holds a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with CCEE, the Brazilian Power Commercialization Chamber. The plant is expected to provide about 340,000 MWh of electricity per year, providing energy for more than 170,000 households. “We have successfully realized our first solar power plant in Brazil and yet again confirming our strong track record as an independent solar power producer. We see significant potential for further growth in Brazil and other parts of Latin America, and we will soon start construction of a new 117 MW solar plant in Argentine in partnership with Equinor”, says Raymond Carlsen, CEO of Scatec Solar.  The clean energy produced by the Apodi Solar plant is equivalent to a CO2 reduction of around 200,000 tons per annum. In October 2017, Scatec Solar established a 50/50 Joint Venture (JV) with Equinor to build, own and operate large scale solar plants in Brazil. The JV will be responsible for operation and maintenance as well as asset management of the solar plant. The Apodi Solar plant is owned 43.75 percent by Scatec Solar, 43.75 percent by Equinor and 12.5 percent by the holding company Apodi Participações formed by the Brazilian companies Z2 Power, Pacto Energia and Kroma Energia. will not go through a second round of bids and Lafarge will negotiate with each bidder the sources said.A deal may be announced in August they added.Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer and Carolina Mandl in Sao Paulo; Editing by Richard Chang and Daniel Wallis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Jamie Apody knows she wouldn’t be here today if any of her four grandparents hadn’t survived their time in Auschwitz — including her grandmothers “It shaped me in every single way possible,” said Apody but got to know her other grandparents well I clearly come from a long line of survivors How many millions died and my four grandparents didn’t intelligence and street smarts to get out of there I feel like I carry a lot of those personality traits with me It was always hammered into me how important it was for family to experience big moments who spoke 7-8 languages and became a translator for the Nazis to stay alive used to cry when I got an A on a spelling test I think he was so emotional because he was there to see it.” While Alex Fodor never got to see his granddaughter on TV who led Ventura County in three-pointers one year and whose karate-themed bat mitzvah was marked by her “breaking a board wearing my taffeta pink fuchsia dress” wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life so I grew up watching Fred Roggin,” said Apody whose love of sports started early as a Dodger fan before she was old enough to play and excel in T-ball and basketball I said I was going be an entertainment attorney.” After starting as an unpaid intern and working her way up to become Roggin’s producer at KNBC Apody continued to wrestle with that prospect She even took the LSATs and was accepted at Loyola Law School before deciding on Yom Kippur to instead focus on sportscasting The only problem was that she never got on the air “I knew they were never going to put me on ‘I want you to send my tape to the largest stations possible on the West Coast.’” When the opportunity of a lifetime came instead from WPVI Apody’s initial reaction wasn’t what you’d expect “I knew this is a huge opportunity and I wouldn’t be able to pass it up My agent didn’t listen to me and the stars aligned A former colleague who’s also Jewish remembered Apody vowing that her stay here would be short-lived soon,’” said recently retired anchorman Jim Gardner ‘I’ll bet you anything that doesn’t happen fall in love with Philadelphia and be there the rest of your life.’ empathetic and extremely smart with a great sense of humor She looks for every opportunity to tell stories about young people who have to overcome challenges in remarkable and inspiring ways.” Just like her Holocaust-surviving grandparents did “The stories she heard of their survival made Jamie a stronger person,” said her father a retired dentist born shortly after his parents arrived from Hungary She’s really a hard worker who strived to be the best And I always felt because she knew the struggles of our parents she’s stayed very much involved with Judaism.” Apody worries when she hears the increasingly pervasive antisemitic rhetoric who’s uncertain what to do with her youngest But I have a platform with access to 250,000 on social media I always post on Holocaust Remembrance Day it went viral and was shared by 4-5 million people Very nice Jamie it was well written and I enjoy watching you on TV Keep up the good work and also I am a alumni from PW I enjoyed the article & love watching you on television As a former Philadelphian The Jewish Exponent was my favorite You are Such a Treasure to Have in the Philadelphia Region You have a Wonderful Husband and Beautiful Children Please Don’t Ever Leave the Philadelphia Region We miss you and are wondering if you will be back We understand that the times are difficult and scary and website in this browser for the next time I comment The International Energy Agency (IEA) increased its forecast for global renewable energy deployment this decade by two-thirds in a major report released earlier this week “WOW,” Carbon Brief Deputy Editor and Senior Policy Editor Simon Evans wrote in a LinkedIn post after the IEA released [pdf] its Renewables 2024 report its Renewables 2023 report forecast 3,200 gigawatts of capacity—mainly wind and solar—would be built around the world during the five years 2024-2028 it’s significantly increased that forecast to 3,700 GW over the same five years—and a massive 5,500 GW by 2030.” That means the Paris-based IEA “is now forecasting two-thirds more renewable capacity being built than just two years ago.” that target is still “entirely possible” if governments make bold plans in their formal commitments under the Paris agreement and work together to lower financing costs in developing regions like Africa and Southeast Asia “The world’s renewable power capacity is expected to surge over the rest of this decade,” the IEA wrote in a release additions are on course to equal the current capacity of China “Renewables are moving faster than national governments can set targets for,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said “This is mainly driven not just by efforts to lower emissions or boost energy security—it’s increasingly because renewables today offer the cheapest option to add new power plants in almost all countries around the world.” renewables are expected to meet half of global electricity demand China is projected to dominate renewables growth accounting for 60% of global capacity expansion “The country is forecast to be home to every other megawatt of all renewable energy capacity installed worldwide in 2030,” surpassing its goal of 1,200 GW for solar PV and wind energy six years early Globally, solar will be the top performer, making up 80% of the growth in renewables out to 2030. “Adoption accelerates due to declining costs, shorter permitting timelines, and widespread social acceptance,” writes the IEA. (The IEA’s confidence here runs counter to warnings about the harm that community pushback is doing to renewable fortunes—Ed.) The agency further predicts a growth of distributed applications among residential and commercial consumers “as more households and companies seek to reduce their electricity bills.” The IEA sees renewables growth continuing in the United States largely due to tax credits available through the Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act while competitive auctions and corporate power purchase agreements will drive expansion in the EU Europe’s 600-GW solar PV ambition for 2030 is within reach “but more effort is needed for wind,” writes the IEA wind is projected to double its rate of expansion between now and 2030 compared to the period between 2017 and 2023 India is set to be “the fastest growing renewable energy market among large economies” due to a rapid expansion of auctions and stronger financial indicators for utility companies hydropower is expected to “remain steady,” while bioenergy and ocean energy are expected to decline due to a lack of policy support Hydrogen remains “a negligible driver” out to 2030 less than 1% of total global renewable energy expansion—mostly due to “insufficient demand creation,” the IEA says The IEA urges countries to announce more ambitious plans in their next Nationally Determined Contributions under the 2015 Paris deal writing that only 14 countries had explicit renewable capacity targets before COP28 Efforts must also address the chokepoints renewables projects face, like lengthy timelines for permits, grid connection wait times especially in emerging and developing markets At least 1,650 GW of renewable capacity is in advanced stages of development and waiting for a grid connection but grid connection times are slowly improving “Queues to integrate energy storage are also significant as deployment rises,” the IEA warns. Higher curtailments are another concern as renewables capacity meets a grid not ready to welcome it the curtailment of wind and solar PV recently reached between 5% and 15%,” writes the IEA “Despite growing investment in battery storage in many of these markets including long-term storage and large-scale demand-response where solar and wind penetration will be close to 70% by 2030 The IEA also suggests establishing criteria beyond “just price” when awarding renewable power capacity This “new tool” aims to avoid direct trade measures with nearly 60% of all capacity awarded in auctions worldwide now including non-price criteria such as sustainability and supply chain security While this may lead to higher short-term prices it can promote system optimization and support domestic socio-economic goals Sustainable transportation fuels are crucial for meeting international climate goals but their growth is lagging due to higher costs compared to fossil fuels keeping their share of global energy below 6% by 2030 “Queues to integrate energy storage are also significant as deployment rises,” the IEA warns. Higher curtailments are another concern, as renewables capacity meets a grid not ready to welcome it. “In Chile, Ireland, and the UK, the curtailment of wind and solar PV recently reached between 5% and 15%,” writes the IEA. “Despite growing investment in battery storage in many of these markets, further flexibility measures, including long-term storage and large-scale demand-response, will be necessary.” This applies to Chile, where solar and wind penetration will be close to 70% by 2030, as well as Portugal, the Netherlands, and Germany. The IEA also suggests establishing criteria beyond “just price” when awarding renewable power capacity. This “new tool” aims to avoid direct trade measures, with nearly 60% of all capacity awarded in auctions worldwide now including non-price criteria such as sustainability and supply chain security. While this may lead to higher short-term prices, it can promote system optimization and support domestic socio-economic goals. Sustainable transportation fuels are crucial for meeting international climate goals, the IEA writes, but their growth is lagging due to higher costs compared to fossil fuels, keeping their share of global energy below 6% by 2030. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Copyright 2025 © Energy Mix Productions Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright 2025 © Smarter Shift Inc. and Energy Mix Productions Inc. All rights reserved. blood supply for the debilitating disease.In 1966 a young Harvard graduate with a B.A in Romance languages and literature set out on a three-month drive through Mexico and Central America Department of State never imagined that his road trip would lead to a career in medical science and I got hooked on Latin America,” recalled Louis V determined to use his fluency in Spanish and Portuguese to improve lives became the lone Peace Corps volunteer in drought-prone Apodi Kirchhoff set out to demonstrate that vegetables could be grown out of season—a project that would require irrigation then organized sharecropper families to build an irrigation system in the northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte was nicknamed the “Tomato Capital” of the westernmost region Kirchhoff recognized that the sharecroppers of Apodi had few options better jobs or even birth control information,” he said Health care consisted of two pharmacists dispensing informal diagnoses and prescription drugs so I got a book on them,” recalled Kirchhoff That’s when he learned about Chagas disease a major cause of morbidity and death in Latin America that is associated with poverty and a semi-arid climate The Chagas parasite (Trypanosoma cruzi) is transmitted when infected reduviid bugs (also known as triatomine or kissing bugs for their habit of attacking the face) gorge themselves on blood drawn from sleeping people and deposit parasite-laden feces near the site of the bite wound The parasites enter the wound when the victim scratches the bite cardiac and gastrointestinal manifestations in 10 to 30 percent of those who have it Convinced that infectious diseases were the biggest health problem in poor tropical regions Kirchhoff left Brazil with a reawakened childhood career goal His Russian-born mother had always urged him to become a doctor one of her own criteria for success in America He returned to school and took undergraduate as well as graduate science and epidemiology courses only to discover—at 26—rampant age discrimination at most medical schools In 1976 he found himself back in Brazil because his thesis advisor was studying links between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and tumors in Brazil Kirchhoff spent four months in São Paulo studying a possible Hodgkin lymphoma-EBV link Collecting and organizing data solidified Kirchhoff’s love of research and earned him Yale’s Harold Lamport Biomedical Research Prize at graduation After a residency in internal medicine at Michigan and a four-year fellowship at the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 1985 he became an assistant professor at the University of Iowa College of Medicine and began studying Chagas genetics and diagnostics Between 12 and 14 million people (including about 100,000 residents of the United States) harbor the Chagas parasite; about 25,000 die annually Chagas is easily transmitted by blood transfusion Kirchhoff wanted to develop an accurate seriodiagnostic tool to avoid transmission of the parasite by transfusion His appointment in 1990 as associate professor of internal medicine infectious diseases and epidemiology at the University of Iowa brought him nearer to his goal “Getting tenure brought more freedom to explore less traditional avenues of academic research in technology transfer and commercialization,” said Kirchhoff He had already developed a radioimmune precipitation assay still the gold standard for confirmatory testing he employed recombinant DNA technology to develop chimeric antigens as the basis of a test that is accurate and easy to use signed a licensing agreement with Abbott Laboratories to use the chimeric antigens as the basis of an automated assay for screening the United States blood supply for Chagas The assay may eventually be marketed in Latin America as well And in September Kirchhoff received a national Tibbetts Award for the development of the chimeric antigens continues to attend on internal medicine and infectious disease services Kirchhoff’s favorite pursuits include foreign films “I get an enormous sense of accomplishment thinking about what my technology may do,” Kirchhoff reflected it will be very satisfying that I could have an original idea bang away at it in my lab for 10 years and finally be able to more effectively protect transfusion recipients You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience The US$215 million Apodi solar park is located in the city of Quixeré The project was selected in Brazil’s second auction for renewables A large-scale PV plant built by Norway's Scatec Solar in Brazil From pv magazine LatAm Norwegian solar developer Scatec Solar has announced the completion of its 162 MW Apodi solar project in Brazil The plant, which was built through a 50/50 joint venture with Norway’s oil company Equinor 43.75% by Equinor and 12.5% by holding company Apodi Participações formed by the Brazilian companies Z2 Power The project was selected by the Brazilian regulator ANEEL in the country’s second renewable energy auction which was held in 2015 and was awarded a 20-year PPA with CCEE the Brazilian Power Commercialization Chamber “We have successfully realized our first solar power plant in Brazil and yet again confirming our strong track record as an independent solar power producer,” said Scatec CEO Raymond Carlsen in a statement released “We see significant potential for further growth in Brazil and other parts of Latin America and we will soon start construction of a new 117 MW solar plant in Argentina in partnership with Equinor,” he added the largest shareholder of which is the Brazilian Federal Government “Scatec Solar now holds 519 MW of solar power plants in operation 895 MW under construction and about 4.5 GW in project backlog and pipeline,” continued the statement More articles from Emiliano Bellini Please be mindful of our community standards Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. View our privacy policy. × The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this Close barely visible in satellite images from mid-March 2008 plant-covered landscape of northeastern Brazil in early April 2008 The two rivers were among many that overflowed in this normally dry corner of Brazil in the wake of heavy rains in March and April the floods and mudslides had killed 21 people and forced 82,000 from their homes Although clouds hide much of the flooding in the state on April 6, 2008 (top image), the Piranhas and the Apodi Rivers were clearly much wider than they had been on March 17 (lower image) before the rains began. These images were captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on NASA’s Terra (April 6) and Aqua (March 17) satellites Additional signs of flooding can be seen in the Atlantic Ocean which is made with both infrared and visible light Though reflected sunlight obscures the color of the ocean in the top image hinting at the flood runoff flowing into the ocean Rainfall is also evident in the plants that cover the land the color of bare earth or sparsely vegetated land Clouds in this type of image are turquoise and white NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC, which produces daily images of northeastern Brazil View this area in EO Explorer Extensive floods swept over the normally dry northeastern corner of Brazil in the wake of heavy rains in March and April 2008 UPDATE April 26, 2024: We've finally confirmed that Jamie Apody has departed the station. She shared her first statement confirming the news this afternoon. You can click here to view that. It's been a mystery that's been plaguing Philadelphians for nearly a month But we THINK we're starting to get some more answers about it Philadelphians are wondering what happened to one of the city's most famous television faces Longtime 6 ABC veteran sports anchor Jamie Apody hasn't been seen on the station since the end of the Phillies season in October Fans are wondering: what happened and will she ever be returning to TV screens Or they're wondering if the station and Apody had parted ways has been a fixture in Philly's most-watched TV station's sports coverage READ MORE: 6ABC Hires New Meteorologist, Payton Domschke She's been there for the Phillies 2008 title and in recent years the playoff heartbreaks from both the Phillies and the Eagles Her final story published on the station's website was published on October 25 that's the day after the Phillies lost the NLCS noticed that Jamie was missing from the station's newscasts and started asking questions on social media about it KEEP SCROLLING to see our first hint about where Apody may be (and if she has a future at the station) at the bottom of this article CrossingBroad.com was the first outlet to raise questions about Apdoy's whereabouts too. Jamie hasn't publicly commented on the matter Her biography is still published on the 6 ABC website. And she's still posting on social media (showing photos of sports things, family things, and more on Instagram). Her bio on the social platform X (formerly known as Twitter) says she's a 6 ABC Sports Anchor/Reporter too. Perhaps our biggest hint about Jamie's future came from a subsequent report from some great reporting via CrossingBroad.com late last week. They say that an out-of-office (automated) email message to Jamie's 6 ABC email address said in part "I am currently taking a leave of absence from my 6abc sports casting duties and will not be responding to emails related to my work at 6abc." It's an email address that is not publicly listed 94.5 PST and Townsquare Media have reached out to 6 ABC's spokesperson as well for an update We'll add any responses we get from the station here But IS it enough to assume she hasn't left the station and instead has taken a leave during the Eagles season if you're a fan (and there are many Jamie fans).. Fans may recall that something similar happened to another longtime sports reporter on the station when Jeff Skversky exited the station. For weeks fans wondered where he was (he was also posting on his social media accounts at the time) in 2022 He wound up moving to the CBSTV  station in Detroit, where he is working as the lead anchor for the station's 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m. broadcasts. We'll see if we know more soon about Jamie's role at 6 ABC.  Gallery Credit: Joe, 94.5 PST The veteran 6 ABC personality has been missing from TV screens for over a month, but what's REALLY going on?\nRead More UPDATE April 26, 2024: We've finally confirmed that Jamie Apody has departed the station. She shared her first statement confirming the news this afternoon. You can click here to view that. READ MORE: 6ABC Hires New Meteorologist, Payton Domschke #boycott @6abc until they inform viewers about #JamieApody CrossingBroad.com was the first outlet to raise questions about Apdoy's whereabouts too. Her biography is still published on the 6 ABC website. And she's still posting on social media (showing photos of sports things, family things, and more on Instagram). Her bio on the social platform X (formerly known as Twitter) says she's a 6 ABC Sports Anchor/Reporter too. Perhaps our biggest hint about Jamie's future came from a subsequent report from some great reporting via CrossingBroad.com late last week. Fans may recall that something similar happened to another longtime sports reporter on the station when Jeff Skversky exited the station. For weeks fans wondered where he was (he was also posting on his social media accounts at the time) in 2022 He wound up moving to the CBSTV  station in Detroit, where he is working as the lead anchor for the station's 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m. broadcasts. Statoil has signed an agreement to acquire a 40% share in the construction ready 162MW Apodi solar asset in Brazil from Scatec Solar a Norwegian independent solar power producer The project will provide approximately 160,000 households with electricity Statoil and Scatec Solar have also agreed on an exclusive cooperation to jointly develop potential future solar projects in Brazil Statoil will also acquire a 50% share in the project execution company enabling Statoil to participate in building and operating solar projects in the future “Brazil is a core area for Statoil where our ambition is to deliver safe and sustainable growth in a significant energy market Entering into solar in Brazil adds to the positions we have already in the producing Peregrino oil field and in the offshore licenses BM-S-8 and BM-C-33 which include the yet to be developed discoveries Carcará and Pão de Açúcar respectively We are excited to have entered our first solar project with an experienced partner like Scatec Solar,” says Irene Rummelhoff Executive Vice President of New Energy Solutions in Statoil Statoil will pay a combined acquisition price of USD 25 million for access to the Apodi solar asset and the project execution company The construction of the solar plant will start in October 2017 aiming to deliver electricity from the end of 2018 Total project capex is estimated to USD 215 million The Apodi solar asset will be funded 65% by project financing and 35% equity contribution of which Statoil’s equity share will be approximately USD 30million The Apodi asset is located in the municipality of Quixeré and is fully-permitted with grid connection The asset holds a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) awarded in 2015 at an auction organised by the Brazilian government with an inflation adjusted offtake price equivalent to 104 USD/MWh in 2017 Following the transaction Scatec Solar holds a 40% share in the Apodi solar asset “As part of Statoil’s strategy to actively complement our oil and gas portfolio with profitable renewable energy sources we have so far focused on offshore wind where we have a unique competitive advantage building on over 40 years with oil and gas acitvities The Apodi asset is a sensible first step into the solar industry and can demonstrate how solar can provide Statoil with scaleable and profitable growth opportunities,” says Rummelhoff The construction and operations phase for this project will be led by Scatec Solar with Statoil contributing with staff and services from Brazil as well as Norway Improved technology and lower costs have turned solar into an attractive power source outcompeting traditional sources of energy in important markets Solar Photovoltaic (PV) has grown approximately 50% per year globally over the last 10 years approximately 3GW of solar projects have been awarded in Brazil in three consecutive utility scale solar auctions Another 7GW is planned to be awarded by 2024 “The potential for solar energy in Brazil is substantial and together with Statoil we are increasing  our ambitions further in this market We are bringing into the partnership a strong track record as an integrated independent solar power producer while Statoil has a strong engagement and experience from Brazil through its other energy activities,” says Raymond Carlsen Scatec Solar is a Norwegian based solar power producer currently having 322 MW of solar power plants in operation In addition the company has a significant pipeline of solar projects ApodiPar is a Brazilian consortium consisting of three investors Statoil already has a sizeable renewables portfolio with an offshore wind portfolio with the capacity of providing over 1 million homes with renewable energy Statoil operates the Sheringham Shoal wind farm in the UK also operated by Statoil — and the world’s first floating offshore wind farm Hywind Scotland — start producing in 2017 In 2016 Statoil also acquired 50% of the Arkona offshore wind farm in Germany Having secured approval to purchase an urban solar park designed to be North America’s largest the City of Medicine Hat now stands at a critical crossroads grappling with hundreds of millions in new transmission fees due to Alberta’s shifting renewable energy regulations the city was given the green light to acquire Irish developer DP Energy’s Saamis Solar Park originally planned as a 325-megawatt solar power plant and substation on a 6.5-square-kilometre plot.  But Alberta’s regulatory landscape has changed since the purchase was first set in motion 18 months ago Medicine Hat’s managing director for energy Further changes are anticipated following Canada’s upcoming federal election while Alberta also plans to redesign its energy market Among the changes Medicine Hat must adapt to is an update to Alberta’s electricity market regulations, which raised concerns locally when estimates suggested a new transmission reinforcement payment (TRP) could add at least C$100 million to the project costs. In December, market analyst Alex Markowski told CHAT News Today that under the earlier regulations Medicine Hat would have only needed to pay $13 million but “now Saamis is probably going to have to pay anywhere from $100 to $300 million and not get it rebated back.” The province says the TRP covers the costs of linking new projects to the grid, but the Canadian Renewable Energy Association decried the fees—and other new requirements—as “punitive” measures that “unfairly target the renewable energy sector.” “This represents less than 5% of the City’s annual energy supply capability.” Pancoast added that the TRP is not well-defined yet making it unclear how it would affect Saamis she explained that Medicine Hat has a unique electricity system and is connected to the provincial grid through a single transmission line The city behaves like a “behind-the-meter” grid market that manages its own electricity use and generation This means Medicine Hat has retail rights within its own grid and is only exposed to provincial transmission costs related to net imports from the province “though the City has historically been a net exporter of power.” The original plan was devised before the TRP was introduced and so Saamis is designed to connect directly to the province’s grid It’s possible the original connection will be “grandfathered in” and the City will need to stick to that plan But Medicine Hat is hoping the TRP won’t apply if the park can be redesigned to connect to the local grid instead Markowski stood by his earlier estimate while agreeing that information about TRP is not yet concrete He speculated that the plan to connect to the city grid might bypass the fee if the electricity is kept strictly behind the meter But if Medicine Hat chose to sell power back to the grid at some point the TRP might then apply and would need to be paid “The government has made no bones about its intent to basically force renewable projects to not build in areas that do not have sufficient transmission capacity by effectively bankrupting the project,” Markowski said The original 325-megawatt solar power plant was planned on privately-owned land that partly overlaps with former tailings ponds of a former Westco Fertilizer plant, writes Medicine Hat News it will be the largest urban solar park in North America AUC’s approvals were based on plans to start construction in 2025 and begin service by 2027 the city now has to reapply for permission to build the park in stages A decision to move forward with the first phase will be based on an intent to meet demand for clean energy manage carbon compliance risks in the immediate and longer term support load growth by offsetting peak demand in summer and add to Medicine Hat’s financial bottom line The project is expected to be funded through a mix of debt and equity “The business case needs to be sufficiently favourable to make sense for the City and our customers,” said Pancoast In October 2024, Pancoast told city council the site would also present an opportunity to secure what might be the only land available for renewable energy projects within city limits “The challenge about later is if we didn’t jump on this opportunity that had been started by a third party the space to develop renewable energy in this community is pretty limited,” “We want to gather more information before it goes to a council we’d like to see the financial data that shows it will be good for the community,” said MHURA president Sou Boss maintaining that the “numbers don’t add up” and the project is “probably going to cost taxpayers more money,” we get a pretty idea of how it’s going to work,’… then we want to see that June 25, 2019JPEG Superlatives abound for Mossoró, a Brazilian city in the small, northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte. On June 25, 2019, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 acquired this natural-color image of the city The three images below show parts of the same image in more detail The coastal settlement was one of the first in Brazil to abolish slavery (1880s) and the first to give women the right to vote (1928). In recent decades, the city has emerged as a leading economic force as well, becoming a noted producer of both salt and oil note the many drilling sites in the Canto do Amaro one of the largest onshore gas and oil fields in Brazil as onshore production represents less than one-tenth of Brazil’s overall production On the northern and eastern fringes of the first image, people have cleared the semiarid caatinga vegetation that grows naturally in the area and replaced it with farms and ranches and nuts are all widely cultivated around Mossoró NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Caption by Adam Voiland View this area in EO Explorer The signs of economic activity around this Brazilian city are easy to see from space. In Brazil, vast wild areas have been converted into farms, producing a major protein-packed cash crop but also endangering wildlife. Twelves cities in South America’s largest country will host games in the 2014 World Cup of football (soccer). Human activity and natural beauty merge in south-central Brazil. 07 December 202211:00(UTC)Last modified07 December 202212:16The Apodi Solar Plant in Brazil(Photo: Einar Aslaksen / Equinor)Equinor has made final investment decision on the 531 MW Mendubim solar project in Brazil. The project underpins Equinor’s ambitions to accelerate growth in renewables and develop as a market-driven power producer in selected markets. Mendubim is developed as a joint venture between Scatec, Hydro Rein and Equinor, and is located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. All three partners have an equal economic interest of 33.3% in the project and will jointly provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services. Operation and maintenance as well as asset management services to the power plant will be provided by Scatec and Equinor. Mendubim is Equinor’s second large scale solar project in Brazil, following the 162 MW Apodi solar plant that was put in operation in 2018 in partnership with Scatec. Total project capital expenditure (capex) is estimated to be around USD 430 million. The asset will be funded by a combination of project financing and equity contribution from partners. Mendubim will deliver real project-based returns in Equinor’s expected range for renewables of 4-8%. Around 60% of the produced power will be sold on a 20-year USD-denominated power purchase agreement (PPA) with Alunorte, one of the world’s leading suppliers of alumina for the aluminium industry. The remaining 40% of the production will be sold in the power market in Brazil. The power trading services are expected to be provided by Hydro Energia and Equinor’s wholly owned energy trading house Danske Commodities. Danske Commodities have recently established a trading office in São Paulo to support Equinor’s activity in the country. “Equinor has conducted business in Brazil for over two decades, and we see the country as a core area for safe and sustainable long-term growth. We are working to build a diversified energy offering with a robust oil and gas portfolio and an attractive renewables position. Mendubim will be an important milestone for Equinor’s ambitions of being a leading company in the energy transition”, says Veronica Coelho, Equinor’s country manager in Brazil. Equinor is in the process of building a profitable solar portfolio in selected markets. Equinor has conducted business in Brazil since 2001, and the country is considered one of the core areas for Equinor. Equinor has a solid and diversified oil & gas portfolio in Brazil, with licenses both under development and in production such as Bacalhau, in Santos basin, and Peregrino, in Campos basin. Within renewables, the first solar plant in Equinor’s global portfolio, the Apodi solar plant, is located in the state of Ceará. Equinor Brasil Energia Ltda., a subsidiary of Equinor ASA, has entered into agreements(1) with Brazilian company Prio Tigris Ltda., a subsidiary of PRIO SA (PRIO3.SA) for a sale of its 60% operated interest in the Peregrino field in Brazil. 30 April 2025 Equinor delivered adjusted operating income* of USD 8.65 billion and USD 2.25 billion after tax in the first quarter of 2025. Equinor reported net operating income of USD 8.87 billion and net income at USD 2.63 billion. Adjusted net income* was USD 1.79 billion, leading to adjusted earnings per share* of USD 0.66. 30 April 2025 Equinor (OSE: EQNR, NYSE: EQNR) will after the annual general meeting 14 May 2025 commence the second tranche of up to USD 1,265 million of the share buy-back programme for 2025, as announced in relation with the first quarter results 30 April 2025. 16 March 202307:13(UTC)The Apodi solar plant in Brazil(Photo: Ole Jørgen Bratland / Equinor)Equinor ASA (Equinor) has acquired 5,000,000 shares in Scatec ASA (Scatec) from Scatec Innovation AS, corresponding to 3.1 percent of the shares and votes, at a total purchase price of NOK 305 million. The purchase price per share is NOK 61. The closing price on 15 March 2023 was NOK 64,18. Following the transaction Equinor owns a total of 25,776,200 shares of Scatec, raising its total shareholding to 16.2 percent of the shares and votes. “As the largest shareholder in the company, we have acted on this opportunity to acquire an additional 3.1% stake in Scatec, a leading renewable energy company in emerging economies. The acquisition aligns well with our disciplined approach to growth within renewables. Since Equinor acquired its first shares in Scatec in 2018, we have continued to work constructively with Scatec’s management,” says Pål Eitrheim, executive vice president for Renewables in Equinor. Partnering with Scatec, Equinor entered its first solar development project in 2017 via the Apodi asset in Brazil, followed by a second joint project in June 2018 with the Guanizul 2A in Argentina. The two companies are also partners together with Hydro Rein in the Mendubim solar development project (531 MW) in Brazil. NYSE: EQNR) will after the annual general meeting 14 May 2025 commence the second tranche of up to USD 1,265 million of the share buy-back programme for 2025 as announced in relation with the first quarter results 30 April 2025 The purchase price per share is NOK 116 which compares to the closing price on 19 December of NOK 110.5 and to Scatec Solar’s equity issuance price on 24 September of NOK 116 Following the transaction Equinor owns a total of 18,965,400 shares of Scatec Solar raising its total shareholding to 15.2 percent of the shares and votes “Through this acquisition of additional shares in Scatec Equinor further strengthens its exposure to the fast-growing solar energy sector we have continued to work effectively with Scatec’s management and now we are capitalising on an opportunity to acquire an additional stake in this high performing company,” says Pål Eitrheim executive vice president for New Energy Solutions in Equinor “Our shareholding in Scatec Solar remains an important long-term investment for Equinor and reinforces our strategy to develop a strong position in renewables to secure lasting value for our shareholders Scatec has a very capable management team and a proven strategy for value creation We look forward to continuing to engage with the company,” says Eitrheim The global solar business has grown by approximately 50% per year over the last 10 years and is anticipated to be a major source of renewable power with continued high growth scale effects and more professional value chains solar energy is becoming a low-cost source of power Equinor entered its first solar development project in 2017 via the Apodi asset in Brazil followed by a second joint project in June 2018 with the Guanizul 2A in Argentina We encourage you to republish Dialogue Earth articles, online or in print, under the Creative Commons license. Please read our republishing guidelines to get started it is bitterness that comes to mind as farmer Francisco Edilson Neto recalls his first experience with the fruit: “The melon managed to destroy the dreams of many people.” Edilson was part of a group of about 100 farmers living and working in Apodi a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Norte they grew the famous red rice typical of the region Everything was produced as a collective for the consumption of the families and what was left over was sold in the municipality’s markets a fertile plateau that stretches across Rio Grande do Norte and neighbouring Ceará state things began to change with the arrival of large melon producers in the late 1990s The family farmers also decided to invest in the fruit “The idea was to plant melons for export,” Edilson recalls fruit farming for export was not a safe bet for small fish like us.” He tells us how the collective sought a bank loan to support this venture a debt they would struggle to pay back and which caused irreconcilable divisions among the group agroecological approaches and community farming were seen as backward “It hurt a lot when we saw this dream destroyed and we emerged with a trade union,” says Edilson formerly president of the Union of Rural Workers of Apodi We met Edilson at the union’s headquarters in September 2022 Peasants from the region had gathered for three days to discuss the impacts of export fruit farming in a region with its own traditions linked to agroecology and family production With greater availability of water than the Ceará side of the Chapada Apodi and other nearby cities are becoming a battleground between fruit-growing agribusiness and peasant communities and their opposing views on use of territory and natural resources It is a dispute over ways of living and producing and access to the most valuable asset in Brazil’s semi-arid Northeast region: water far from the farms of the Northeast at the presidential palace in Brasília sealed a trade agreement considered “historic” for fruit exporters under the gaze of Brazil’s then-president Jair Bolsonaro and China’s Xi Jinping China agreed to allow imports of Brazilian melons the first fresh fruit from the South American country to gain access to the Chinese market The first shipment from Brazil arrived in Shanghai in September 2020 China is the world’s largest melon producer and consumer and has substantially increased its fruit imports in recent decades it has also consolidated its position as Brazil’s main commercial partner Melons have been taking an increasing share in the Brazilian agricultural sector’s exports rising in recent years to rank among the nation’s most exported fruits The main destinations are the European Union markets that are already consolidated for Brazilian fruit producers China’s entry into this market may yet add to the pressure on regions such as the Chapada do Apodi potentially amplifying the impacts of a model that guarantees water for agribusiness but brings increasing difficulties for traditional farming communities and small If Brazil is to start to increase its supply of melon China it will need to double the current 20,000 hectares of area dedicated to the crop according to “conservative” estimates from Luiz Barcelos the largest producer and exporter of melons in Brazil “China plants 430,000 hectares of melon a year they plant twenty times more than us,” Barcelos said in an interview with the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock I think that in the next five years we have conditions to double our melon planting.” Brazil exported around 200 tonnes of melon to China between 2019 and 2022 according to data from the Brazilian Ministry of Industry which has cooled in the face of logistical disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic and the increase in the price of air and sea freight Most of these exports have left Rio Grande do Norte by truck Agrícola Famosa could become an important supplier of melons to China It is not the only potential winner: there are other large companies that supply melon and other fruit to foreign and domestic markets They are mostly located in Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará states that account for about 70% of all melons produced in Brazil More than half of this production is for export Agrícola and other large fruit growers cultivate in the middle of the Caatinga a territory adjoining the two states and a fertile land that extends to the coast of Ceará year-round sunshine and the lack of rain offer perfect conditions to produce fruit there is an abundance of water in this biome – water found in underground reservoirs known as aquifers The region’s melons are highly dependent on this resource: from planting the seedlings to harvest one kilo of the fruit consumes around 200 litres of water The waters of the Jandaíra and Açu aquifers have almost been exhausted primarily for the production of melon and watermelon Founded in 1995 by Barcelos and business partners Carlos Porro Agrícola today produces fruit on 30,000 hectares spread over 16 farms an area six times larger than when operations started Of every ten melons produced by the company seven are destined for the international market Four hundred containers loaded with melons are dispatched every week Agrícola Famosa describes itself as the country’s largest producer and distributor of melons and watermelons and expanded its international operations in 2021 with the establishment of partnerships in Spain and the UK – the largest consumer of its melons But the company’s greatest expansion escapes the eye. In eight years, Agrícola Famosa has gone from operating four deep wells, between 400 and 800 metres deep, to 21 such borings, in order to supply its farms. The number of shallow wells, up to 400 metres deep, has more than doubled in that time, from 250 to 582 today, according to data made available by the company The company is among Ceará state’s largest consumers of water – alongside other large fruit companies the company obtained authorisation to use almost 10 million cubic metres of water according to a calculation based on permits issued by the Ceará government a researcher and professor at the Federal Institute of Ceará “There is a multi-territorialisation in the presence of fruit farming,” Gadelha says 10 million cubic metres would be enough to supply the 244,000 inhabitants of the Chapada do Apodi municipalities with 110 litres of water per day the minimum amount recommended for consumption and hygiene according to the World Health Organisation Ceará began to experience a major period of drought that lasted for eight years with the amount of water that left the aquifer much greater than that which recharged it “So the aquifer has been showing a deficit year after year due to the expansion of production melon and other fruit have left a trail of desertification and difficulties for farmers to access the water table “There used to be 3,000 hectares of melon,” the researcher recalls “This whole district used to swell because of fruit-growing The companies left and this district went bankrupt.” large melon and watermelon monocultures have moved towards Rio Grande do Norte in addition to accessing the Jandaíra and Açu aquifers the latter of which has greater water availability “The water from the Jandaíra limestone has a high salt content It mixes with the water from the Açu sandstone and becomes water suitable for melons and watermelons,” explains agronomist Josivan Barbosa professor and former dean of the Federal Rural University of the Semi-arid Region While the Jandaíra is closer to the surface the Açu is about 1,000 metres deep and has fresh water the more expensive it becomes to prospect a well something in the region of a few million reais Accessing this water for irrigation use is not cheap either Josivan Barbosa says that expectations for exporting melons from this semi-arid region to China are still “more in the political field” “To justify the frequency of the shipments you’d have to have another 10,000 hectares That represents 50% more than the area planted today We would have to have genetic material with a very long post-harvest shelf-life But water does not seem to be a concern for Agrícola business figures from the fruit sector met with vice-president Geraldo Alckmin before the new government had been formally inaugurated after the October elections They were representing the newly created National Network of Irrigators an association that brings together the main fruit producers and exporters On the agenda: an increase in irrigated areas A long way from the air-conditioned offices where trade and diplomatic agreements are sown 58-year-old Miguel* has been losing sleep over melons This is not just a figure of speech: as harvest time approaches there are sleepless nights in the settlement near Apodi where he and 40 other families live “At night we wake up with our noses burning Mainly at the time when they apply pesticides,” says the farmer “They spend the whole night bathing the crops That’s when you start to feel this burning sensation in your nose,” He is a mature man with a creased face and grey hair He looks at least ten years older than his age It was during this same period that Brazil achieved The crops came closer and closer to his property “That clear air that we used to have – lying on the porch and seeing that clear air – today it feels like contaminated dust or poison.” Only two hundred metres separate the house where he lives and works from the melon fields of Agrícola Famosa Miguel also speaks with regret over the poor performance of the bees that he has managed for some years and which represent an important part of his income “The bees used to be very strong in the summer To recover it takes a lot of work,” he says beekeepers in his community lost about a third of their bees and honey production Miguel and practically all of the families in his settlement have relatives who work for Agrícola Although the impacts of the proximity of the crops are intensely discussed no one has the courage to expose themselves he only agreed to talk on the condition of anonymity 9,000 workers support Agrícola Famosa alone This gives an idea of the economic – and therefore political – power that the company wields in rural towns where there is little or no job creation “The arrival of the companies has changed a lot,” Miguel says The positive today is employment in our municipality we are hit by a lot of things that are bad for our health and our community.” illustrate only some of the many impacts of large-scale fruit farming Although the official discourse is that of development and the generation of employment and income it has done little to alter the power structures of access to water and land in the region while maintaining a great asymmetry between large and small agricultural producers Brazil has been exporting melons for 40 years the country has been through economic and political crises and irrigation technology and genetic improvement of the fruit saw great advances Brazil consolidated itself in the global fruit market But the thinking of the rural economic elite has changed little since then Josivan Barbosa says: “When you take the irrigated agriculture businessmen here it is more or less the same thinking as the grain and meat businessmen They have this impression that the rural worker doesn’t really need all this support that he gets today.” economic and political rearrangement experienced in four decades water in the semi-arid region continues to follow the path of economic power or Maísa – a once-thriving agro-industrial complex created in the 1960s with state incentives investments in infrastructure and irrigation projects but which ultimately failed at the turn of the century – was already producing melons and other fruit with water from the Açu aquifer The company had as many as 11 deep wells of 400 to 500 metres deep thanks to the ease of obtaining credit from public banks and the fact that it had in its own specialists in soil drilling this aquifer is the disputed water source that may sustain a potentially increased demand from China and elsewhere with prospecting for new water resources for fruit production taking place in states such as Piauí and Maranhão “is are we going to indiscriminately use this water that is for human consumption O Joio e O Trigo contacted Agrícola Famosa for comment but the company did not respond to their queries This article originally appeared on O Joio e O Trigo. This translated and edited version is republished with permission. Maíra Mathias also contributed to the report Mariana Costa is a Brazilian journalist and investigative reporter at O Joio e O Trigo conflict of interest and food industry lobbying Select from our bespoke newsletters for news best suited to you We’ve sent you an email with a confirmation link 我们向您的邮箱发送了一封确认邮件，请点击邮件中的确认链接。如果您未收到该邮件，请查看垃圾邮件。 If you would like more information about the terms of our republication policy or permission to use content, please write to us: [email protected] We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Read our privacy and cookies policy for further information Dialogue Earth uses cookies to provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser It allows us to recognise you when you return to Dialogue Earth and helps us to understand which sections of the website you find useful Required Cookies should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings Dialogue Earth - Dialogue Earth is an independent organisation dedicated to promoting a common understanding of the world's urgent environmental challenges. Read our privacy policy Cloudflare - Cloudflare is a service used for the purposes of increasing the security and performance of web sites and services. Read Cloudflare's privacy policy and terms of service Dialogue Earth uses several functional cookies to collect anonymous information such as the number of site visitors and the most popular pages Keeping these cookies enabled helps us to improve our website Google Analytics - The Google Analytics cookies are used to gather anonymous information about how you use our websites. We use this information to improve our sites and report on the reach of our content. Read Google's privacy policy and terms of service This website uses the following additional cookies: execute and analyze marketing programs with greater ease and efficiency while enabling publishers to maximize their returns from online advertising Note that you may see cookies placed by Google for advertising under the Google.com or DoubleClick.net domains Twitter - Twitter is a real-time information network that connects you to the latest stories opinions and news about what you find interesting Simply find the accounts you find compelling and follow the conversations Linkedin - LinkedIn is a business- and employment-oriented social networking service that operates via websites and mobile apps Lipno solar plant, PolandPhoto: Ole Jørgen BratlandHomeEnergyOnshore renewablesOnshore renewables and battery storageOnshore renewables play a pivotal role in the energy transition They address and contribute to solving the energy trilemma Solar and onshore wind are the lowest-cost generation technologies which can be rapidly deployed They currently dominate renewable installed capacity and are poised for further strong growth According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) by 2050 solar and onshore wind are expected to represent respectively 28% and 27% of the total global power generation capacity As the share of renewables in the energy mix increases battery energy storage systems (BESS) will be crucial helping to mitigate the intermittent nature of renewable power These systems store excess power generated releasing it when the electricity grid needs it most This improves supply security and protects the electricity system from price extremes BESS also provides services that enhance grid resilience allowing for more renewable energy sources to be integrated represent two complementary pillars in Equinor’s renewables strategy Onshore projects have shorter project cycles and are less capital intensive making them easily scalable and capable of generating accelerated cash flow onshore projects can provide value uplift from taking merchant risks and trading Equinor’s strategy for onshore renewables is market driven and we focus our activities on select markets in Europe and the Americas The onshore renewables business demands local knowledge and agility we have developed a distinct business model based on acquiring local renewables companies in our select markets and transforming them into multi-tech power producers supported by Equinor’s ownership and Danske Commodities trading capabilities Equinor has acquired several local companies The acquisitions allowed us to build a substantial project pipeline in select power markets and welcomed around 400 new colleagues with renewable energy expertise and local knowledge who develop and operate onshore renewable projects for Equinor multi-technology portfolio that includes solar we have over 1 GW of equity capacity for projects that are either in production or under construction The Apodi solar complex (162 MW) in the Ceara state and the Mendubim complex of solar plants (531 MW) in the Rio Grande do Norte state are in commercial operation and Equinor’s share is respectively 43.5% and 30% The Serra da Babilônia 1 onshore wind complex (223 MW) in the state of Bahia is in commercial operation The Serra da Babilônia solar complex (140 MW) is under construction in the same area with commercial operations expected by the end of 2025 The assets are fully owned by Equinor and operated by Equinor’s subsidiary Rio Energy Three solar plants and one onshore wind farm with a total capacity of ~200 MW are in commercial operation in Poland: the Stępień solar plant (58 MW) the Lipno solar plant (53 MW) and the Wilko onshore wind farm (26 MW) The assets are fully owned by Equinor and operated by Equinor’s subsidiary Wento The Ingerslev Å solar plant (65 MW) is under construction in Jutland in Denmark Production is expected to start in the first half of 2025 The asset is fully owned by Equinor and operated by Equinor’s subsidiary BeGreen The Lyngsåsa onshore wind farm (95 MW) is in commercial operation in Alvesta BayWa r.e serves as technical and commercial manager of the wind farm on behalf of Equinor The Blandford Road battery storage asset (25 MW/ 50 MWh) is in operation in Dorset The Welkin Mill battery storage asset (35 MW/70 MWh) is in operation in the Greater Manchester area in England Both assets are fully owned by Equinor and were developed by Noriker Power The Sunset Ridge Energy Center (10 MW/20 MWh) in Frio County The commercial operation date for Sunset Ridge is expected in spring 2025 The Citrus Flatts battery storage project (100 MW/200 MWh) in Cameron County The project is expected to reach commercial operations in 2026 The NOVEC projects (80 MW/160 MWh) in Northern Virginia are under execution and are expected to start commercial operations in 2026 The projects are fully owned by Equinor and operated by Equinor’s subsidiary East Point Energy operations & maintenance leader Fídias Martins Fídias is the manager at Scatec’s Apodi solar power plant in the northeastern state of Ceara He is an electrical engineer and has been working in the energy sector for 15 years starting out in oil & gas and switching over to renewables the first chance he got and the plant will soon celebrate its fourth anniversary of operations Fídias came on board about two years ago to serve as the new manager for the team something that raised concerns among the staff “I think they were wondering who I was and what I was trying to do,” reflects Fídias and my challenge was to make them feel comfortable and set some clear goals that we could achieve together.” Fídias’ first step was to open the lines of communication and build a stronger understanding of their common ambitions He used the daily safety meeting to address other topics as well talking more about the challenges faced and the opportunities to be seized Step-by-step the Apodi team began working together to implement improvements acting on the many ideas presented by the team  One such idea brought forth by the team was to manually increase the power limit for the 136 inverters in the plant Another idea was to improve the cleaning strategy for the solar panels as well as replace more than 16,000 fuses in the plant All of these actions immediately resulted in critical gains for daily production “Once we were all on the same page and understood what we were working towards and why we started to make some positive progress,” he says “It was also great to get ideas directly from the team on steps we could take to achieve better production The change in leadership style was tough at first but the Apodi team managed to embrace it and take their operations to the next level “It’s difficult to keep any team motivated and it may be impossible to do it all the time But it’s very important that leaders work constantly to motivate their teams to achieve shared goals.” the team has shattered their production records three times in a row “A motivated and driven team is great for the company You simply can’t predict all the ideas and initiatives they will come up with when they are driven to succeed Design and development by Stem Agency Brazil stands out globally as one of the most promising offshore oil and gas basins with a significant remaining resource base the country has a huge potential within renewable energy Brazil towards 2030 Brazil is a great fit with Equinor’s strategy using the strengths from the experience on the Norwegian Continental Shelf Currently Equinor has activity across the value chain Development and Production Brazil has been established as a separate business area illustrating the importance of the potential in the country “We have been building a presence in Brazil since 2001, and we have been able to establish a broad energy portfolio in the country. With around 10 billion USD already invested, and more than 15 billion USD expected to be invested until 2030, we show how we are working to create value for both Brazil and Equinor,” says Anders Opedal executive vice president for Development and Production Brazil in Equinor Equinor’s assets in Brazil include the producing Peregrino field and the second phase of that project that is due to come on stream in 2020 the significant pre-salt discoveries of Carcará and Pão de Açúcar as well as globally competitive exploration acreage In 2017 Equinor also joined as a partner in the Apodi solar project which will deliver energy to 160,000 households by end of this year “We have a portfolio with the potential to produce between 300,000 and 500,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2030 depending on phasing of projects and exploration success we have built a competent organization that will be important for developing our coming projects and putting them into production,” continues Opedal In addition to expecting significant growth in production Equinor in Brazil also has an ambition to further explore for growth within renewable energy and new natural gas value chains Globally competitive exploration acreage Over the last year Equinor has actively participated in new offshore licensing rounds gaining access to significant acreage across the Santos and Campos basins “We are excited about the exploration portfolio in Brazil. We have been very successful in recent bidding rounds,” says Tim Dodson executive vice president for Exploration in Equinor “Our current acreage position is the result of long-term thinking and hard work from our organisations in Brazil and Norway to find the right prospects There is always uncertainty in exploration but this is a proven and prolific oil province with many large discoveries the last decade Over the next two years we expect to drill up to five high impact wells in the Campos and Santos basins with potential comparable to some of the giants that shaped the Norwegian Continental Shelf in the 1970 and 1980s,” says Dodson Equinor is currently drilling the Guanxuma well in the BM-S-8 licence This has been declared as an oil discovery by Brazilian regulator ANP Good quality oil has been discovered in a carbonate reservoir uncertainties remain over reservoir properties and more work is needed to clarify the discovery potential Block BM-C-33 including the Pão de Açúcar discovery Block BM-S-8 comprising the Carcará discovery and exploration prospects     Equinor invites to a press conference for an update on Brazil at ONS Wednesday 29 August 2018 EVP Development and Production Brazil and Tim Dodson When Kjetil Rekdal moved towards the penalty mark at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille in 1998, all of Norway stood still. When the ball hit the goal, people were dancing the samba and the Hallingdance from the North Cape to Lindesnes in the far south. Tiny Norway won a World Cup match against the greatest football nation in history. Today, Brazil and Norway are on the same team in the biggest challenge of our time: the climate crisis. And together, we will develop new solutions. Like Norway, Brazil is rich in natural resources. The nation is big in hydropower, it has a continental shelf that shares features with ours, and has good access to renewable resources. Brazil is also developing several forms of energy simultaneously, which is necessary in order for it to meet its target of reducing its climate emissions by 50% by 2030. Brazil is an important nation for Equinor. For over 20 years, we have collaborated with the world’s fifth largest country on developing energy and new solutions. We are currently producing oil, natural gas and solar energy there– and we’re exploring offshore wind opportunities off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. In Brazil, we’reutilizing many years of experience from the Norwegian continental shelf. New solutions help reduce production emissions. An important task is to cut emissions from the turbines supplying the platforms with power. Cooperation is an equally important measure. Though Brazil, unlike Norway, doesn’t have a CO₂ tax, our partners are investing large sums in producing oil and gas with as low emissions as possible. We are also developing solar energy in Brazil. The Apodi solar power plant, developed together with Scatec, was our first.Today it supplies 200,000 households with electricity. We’re also looking at the possibilities of developing several larger solar energy projects in the country. The power that made tiny Norway a large energy nation is the same power that will contribute to the world’s energy transition. Equinor’s ambition is to continue supplying society with energy with a lower carbon footprint and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. We believe in team play. And we believe in bringing out the best in each other. The first 50 years have passed. The clock is ticking towards 2050. This is one of many stories from our first 50 years. It is also part of the story of how we will succeed with the energy transition. Subscribe to our magazine stories and meet the people behind the ideas—and explore the stories behind the headlines. You will receive new stories by email and you can unsubscribe at any time. 04 October 202209:00(UTC)Last modified04 October 202209:17The Stępień solar plant in Poland.(Photo: Andrzej Matyja / WSP)The construction of the 58 MW Stępień solar plant in Poland is completed, and the plant is ready for operation. Stępień was developed and will be operated by Wento, Equinor’s 100% subsidiary. In 2021, Equinor bought the Polish solar developer Wento and its pipeline of solar projects across Poland. Less than 1.5 years after the acquisition, our first solar plant in Poland is ready for operation. Stępień is located in the Braniewo municipality, part of the Warmia region in the north of Poland. Being one of the largest solar plants in Poland to date, Stępień comprises more than 100,000 solar panels over an area of around 65 hectares. It will produce 61 GWh of power per year, which is equivalent to electricity consumption of 31,000 Polish households. By using local contractors during construction and operation, the project contributes to building knowledge and skills within solar developments in the Polish supplier industry. Poland’s energy production is still dominated by conventional sources, including a high share of coal. This creates significant potential and need for domestic renewables that will help to decarbonize the energy system. “Poland is going through a major energy transition and is actively developing domestic renewable energy to increase reliable power capacity and enhance energy security. Equinor aims to contribute to Poland’s aspirations by building a broad energy offering in the country, including onshore and offshore renewables”, says Michał Jerzy Kołodziejczyk, Equinor’s country manager in Poland. Equinor plans to bring the electricity from the solar plant to the market through a power purchase agreement (PPA), thus securing predictable revenues and return on the investment for the plant. Equinor will include the electricity in its growing portfolio of power from renewables, capturing additional value from optimization and trading. As part of our broad energy offering to Poland, Equinor is investing in growing Poland’s renewables energy industry. Company wants to strengthen its energy presence in Poland and continue to provide power by developing offshore and onshore renewables and support the Polish government on its energy transition path. In 2021, Equinor acquired Polish renewables company Wento with a 1.6 GW solar project pipeline in Poland. In 2022, Equinor signed a 10-year gas sales contract with Poland’s PGNiG to provide natural gas from the Norwegian Continental Shelf to Poland via Baltic Pipe. Equinor in Poland operates from the main office in Warsaw and from the local office in Gdańsk, employing leading experts engaged in offshore and onshore renewables projects development. The Company is also developing an O&M base in Łeba for the Bałtyk II and III projects. Want the full picture? We’d love to share this content with you, but first you must accept marketing cookies by enabling them in our cookie settings. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Statoil) sold a 36.5% interest in BM-S-8 to ExxonMobil and a 3% interest to Galp In return Equinor has received payments totalling around USD 955 million with further payments of around USD 595 million contingent on future milestones Equinor’s operated interest in BM-S-8 is now 36.5% with ExxonMobil’s interest at 36.5% and Galp’s interest at 17% “Carcará is a world class asset and has strengthened our position in Brazil one of Equinor’s core areas due to its large resource base and excellent fit with our technology and capabilities” “Our focus is to clarify the resource potential for the entire Carcará area and to mature a field development with an ambition to deliver first oil from the unitised field between 2023 and 2024” Equinor estimates the entire structure (across BM-S-8 and Carcará North) contains more than 2 billion recoverable barrels of oil equivalent with a carbon footprint that is below our corporate targets for 2030 there is upside potential including in the Guanxuma prospect in the BM-S-8 block where drilling operations started late April After the acquisition of Carcará North block in the 2nd Production Sharing Contracts Round last October Equinor became the operator of the whole structure have helped to align equity interests across the two licenses paving the way for a timely unitisation process Equinor has a strong position in the country which has been defined by the company as a core area for long-term growth Equinor will establish Brazil as a separate business area with Margareth Øvrum becoming executive vice president for the new business area in October 2018 Equinor has a diverse portfolio in Brazil with activities in all development stages including BM-C-33 (Pão de Açúcar discovery Peregrino Phase 2 (construction phase) and Apodi solar plant (construction phase) The company has been producing in the country since 2011 with the Peregrino field Equinor Brazil is the second largest operator with 2.5% of the Brazilian domestic oil production especula-se que a Santana Textiles já controla cerca de 24 mil hectares voltados para o plantio de algodão transgênico Traditional communities that have been living in Chapada do Apodi an area located between the states of Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte are once more under threat by agribusiness The expansion of transgenic soybean and cotton is spreading pesticides throughout the region which affects the health and agricultural production of the families "The perspective we see is that this territory is being enclosed and its people evicted since communities do not want to live with the poison" Also on What's Happening in Brazil: According to data by the Justice Department there are about 57,000 refugees currently living in Brazil we learn learn more about initiatives that offer courses specifically to this population in São Paulo he launched his first solo album last year let's listen to the track that is also the album's name All What's Happening in Brazil episodes are available at Brasil de Fato's YouTube channel, where you'll also find a special English-content playlist. Partners who wish to include a longer version of the show in their schedule may contact our international team at [email protected] All original content produced and editorially authored by Brasil de Fato may be reproduced provided it is not altered and proper credit is given All original content produced and editorially authored by Brasil de Fato may be reproduced Power plants on reservoirs and lakes offer a sustainable option for increasing electricity generation in the country Power generation by photovoltaic solar panels accounts for about 11% of the Brazilian electricity mix This percentage could grow in the future as panels are increasingly installed on the roofs of houses and industrial buildings A recent Brazilian study shows that installing floating solar farms on just 1% of dam reservoirs would allow the country to generate enough clean and renewable energy to supply 16% of the country’s electricity demand That would be equivalent to the amount provided by the Itaipu hydroelectric plant Electricity generation is not the only benefit of floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems They are also capable of reducing evaporation from reservoirs improving retention in locations where water security is low The findings were made by the Energy Planning Program (PPE) team at the Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Engineering Research and Graduate Studies of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (COPPE-UFRJ) Two articles describing the results were published in international scientific journals The study on the technical potential of producing electricity using FPV systems was published in the January 2022 issue of Renewable Energy which focused on how FPV systems can prevent water evaporation at dams in semiarid areas was initially defended as a doctoral thesis at the PPE by agricultural engineer Mariana Padilha Campos Lopes supervised by Marcos Aurélio Vasconcelos Freitas and David Castelo Branco An article presenting the results of the thesis was later published in the Journal of Cleaner Production in November 2020 “Any type of covering over the water affects the variables behind evaporation such as direct solar radiation hitting the water’s surface FPV systems generate energy that can be used to power water pumps and irrigation systems or even to supply electricity to the grid.” The researcher based her work on the 618 dams in the Apodi-Mossoró basin where 45% of the water in the reservoirs evaporates every year This leads to dam reservoirs frequently reaching critically low levels forcing public authorities to seek water from other locations to supply local residents using water trucks Alexandre Affonso / Revista Pesquisa FAPESPInstalling FPV panels over just dead volume areas at dams in the Apodi-Mossoró basin would generate enough electricity to supply 1.33 million homes meaning it would easily supply the entire population of Rio Grande do Norte where there are a total of 1.23 million homes The dead volume refers to the deepest areas of a reservoir where the water is below the catchment pipes The study highlighted that 20.6 million cubic meters (m³) of water would be saved annually around three times the entire volume of Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon in Rio de Janeiro If solar panels covered 50% of the total area of the reservoirs in the Apodi-Mossoró basin enough energy would be generated to supply 5 million homes and the total volume of water preserved could fill Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon 13 times The technology used in FPV systems is no different to that used in ground-based solar farms or panels installed on rooftops which have become a common sight nationwide The only difference is that the panels are mounted on a floating platform which is held in place by an anchoring system (see infographic below) The Brazilian Power Research Company (EPE) linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) published a technical report in 2020 titled “Expansion of generation – floating photovoltaic solar” in which it calculated that floating platforms and anchors increase the cost of installing a solar farm by about 25% compared to ground-based systems When all of the factors involved are taken into account—including the cost of purchasing and preparing land for installation of ground-based plants—the EPE estimated that floating systems are 18% more expensive the EPE noted that floating systems can generate energy more efficiently The silicon cells in photovoltaic panels lose efficiency as temperatures increase the operating temperature is between 5% and 20% lower than when placed on land is disputed among international experts on the subject Experimental studies show different results ranging from no clear benefit to gains of more than 20% The most common estimates are gains of between 9% and 15% Freitas from COPPE believes that the initial investment cost is hindering the advance of FPV systems in Brazil “Floating solar farms have great potential but they are not particularly attractive to investors,” he says “Brazil has a lot of land available for ground-based photovoltaic plants an approach that is well-known and tested.” Another obstacle is that there are still no studies in Brazil on the impact FPV systems have on the aquatic environment and no licensing or authorization procedures have been established by the National Water Agency (ANA) for the use of water bodies to generate energy Global electricity production from FPV systems reached 2.6 gigawatt-peak (GWp) in 2020—a measurement that represents the maximum power generated at the production peak—according to the authors of the Renewable Energy article The technology is most widely used in Japan and South Korea due to the lack of land available for ground-based power plants which primarily uses floating systems on mine pit lakes there is greater investment in the system in arid and semiarid regions with the aim of reducing evaporation and increasing water security Portugal is another country where the approach is already being used Brazil has great potential for FPV systems due to the variety and number of water bodies in the country There are around 241,000 water bodies cataloged by the ANA The COPPE study encompassed 174,500 artificial water bodies including reservoirs at hydroelectric dams and others used for irrigation and human consumption using them would have less of an environmental impact The study proposed that installing solar panels on 1% of the surface of these artificial water bodies which would correspond to a total area of 45,500 square kilometers (km²) would generate 79,377 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity per year from nominal power of 43,276 megawatt-peak (MWp) That would represent about 12.5% of all electricity produced in Brazil The energy generated by FPV systems would be enough to supply around 41 million homes Alexandre Affonso / Revista Pesquisa FAPESPThe most suitable sites for floating solar farms are the reservoirs of hydroelectric power plants they alone account for 73% of the country’s total potential Freitas highlights that these dams offer an important competitive advantage for FPV projects based on potential synergies between hydroelectric and solar generation executive president of the Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association (ABSOLAR) says that there are many interesting characteristics of floating solar farms especially their potential for use in flooded areas and the fact that they reduce evaporation in reservoirs “This set of advantages is attracting the interest of investors Several are currently seeking out more information,” he says adequate regulations for FPV systems had been lacking but that changed when Law 14,300 came into effect in January 2022 The new legislation classified floating solar plants in the same category as micro- and mini-power generators (up to 5 MW) and granted them tax benefits designed to incentivize infrastructure development (the REIDI tax regime) Brazil’s solar energy generation capacity reached 22 gigawatts (GW) with large ground-based farms representing 7 GW and panels on roofs and small plots of land accounting for 15 GW “Solar power is the fastest-growing energy source in the country and floating photovoltaic farms have great potential to further expand the generation of renewable energy,” says Sauaia Brazil’s current floating photovoltaic plants are all experimental Brazilian electric utilities company Eletrobras produces 5 megawatts (MW) at the Balbina hydroelectric plant in Amazonas and 1 MW on the reservoir of the Sobradinho hydroelectric plant in Bahia The São Paulo Energy Company (CESP) produces 50 kilowatts (kW) at the Rosana plant in São Paulo Eletrobras-CHESFOne of Brazil’s experimental floating solar farms on a reservoir at the Sobradinho hydroelectric plant in BahiaEletrobras-CHESF the Neoenergia group and Pernambuco Sanitation Company (COMPESA) announced the construction of a floating photovoltaic plant on the reservoir of the Xaréu dam a 4,900 m2 area on the Fernando de Noronha archipelago in Pernambuco It is estimated that the system will be capable of generating 1,238 megawatt-hours (MWh) per year and will supply more than 40% of the island’s energy demand Switching from thermal generation to solar will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted annually in Fernando de Noronha by 1,600 tons Roughly R$10 million will be invested in the project © Revista Pesquisa FAPESP - All rights reserved Two new species of short-tailed whip scorpions have been found living deep inside the cool Whip scorpions are not true scorpions, but rather part of a group of arachnids that don't have stings and are not poisonous The newly discovered creatures are the same size and same reddish-brown color as other whip scorpions "You can only tell the species apart by looking at their genitals," said lead study author Adalberto Santos an arachnologist from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil This variation might reflect different strategies used by males of different sizes Bigger males with larger pedipalps might fight rival males for females whereas smaller males may avoid fighting altogether and simply try to mate with females when bigger males aren't around "It's better to be a bigger and stronger male but not everyone can be a bigger male," Santos said ubajara were only found in the Ubajara Cave in the state of Ceará This species did not show the dramatic variation in pedipalp length that R Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox Researchers found both new species of whip scorpion in caves where bats resided These arachnids probably eat springtails and other small insects that come to feed on bat guano Although the first specimens were found in caves, the new whip scorpions may not be exclusively adapted for life in the dark but this usually happens in short-tailed whip scorpions because they don't need visual information to survive "The animals look exactly the same as animals that live outside caves," Santos said most of these new insects have been found in caves which are threatened by Brazilian mining activities "Mining companies are allowed to explore and destroy caves," Santos said "We have to explore our caves and cave habitats" and find species before they are destroyed The findings were reported today (May 22) in the journal PLOS ONE Starving cannibalistic spiders won't hunt their siblings Multiple species of ticks in the US can transmit red meat allergy May's full 'Flower Moon' will be a micromoon Mulheres agricultoras pilotam as máquinas chinesas no Rio Grande do Norte - Afonso Bezerra The use of Chinese machinery in the Northeast could have a positive impact on the work of female farmers That's is the assessment of the workers themselves who hope that the arrival of machinery will reduce working time and increase production do housework and also need to go to street fairs [to sell their products] This [the Chinese machinery] will optimize our time in farms because we also need to be at street fairs and attend the movement’s meetings to expose our production That’s Antônia Diana da Silva’s assessment She is a farmer who lives in the São Romão settlement “It’s a dream of family farmers to implement mechanization in their farms I'll clean four with the machine," she celebrates mentioning the big leap the equipment can make for family farming and agroecology We can use them in agroecological production to bring quality food with no pesticides to workers’ tables to the tables of the Brazilian population.” equipment manufactured by Chinese companies began operating on Brazilian soil during a demonstration in the town of Apodi The Minister for Agrarian Development and Family Farming Fátima Bezerra (Workers’ Party) as well as union leaders and people's movements The initiative is part of a partnership between Brazil and China sewn by people’s movements and Brazil’s Northeast Consortium The agreement started in 2022 when the Consortium signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the International Institute of Agricultural Equipment Innovation and Intelligent Agriculture of China Agricultural University The International Association for People’s Cooperation (Baobá) also signed the MOU “Our comrades from China have a commitment with us: they will help set up machine factories for family farming based on the equipment we think is important to us," said João Pedro Stédile from the national leadership of the Landless Workers' Movement (MST) “There is no successful policy without social movements The MST is the one that suggested and helped to make this partnership happen," Minister Paulo Teixeira explained during a press conference on the day of the event in Apodi mentioned the similarities between the realities of Brazil and China and praised the partnership between the two countries She was one of the main organizers of the partnership “Both Brazil and China are huge agricultural countries our partnership in the agribusiness sector has been growing and the two countries benefit from this commercial transaction Our agriculture sector exists thanks to small families like those here in the Northeast region.” the machines will undergo a trial period to assess how well they adapt to Brazilian reality a planter and a drone used for soil fertilization were presented at the event "The idea is to test these Chinese machines on our soil We're going to analyze the amount of fuel they consume whether it's harvesting rice or managing the land The idea is to see how efficient it is in the field so we can suggest adaptations," explained Maria da Saúde from the MST's production sector in Pernambuco state According to João Pedro Stédile the expectation is to advance in building factories in the northeastern states During his speech at the political event in Apodi Stédile criticized the concentration of the machinery market in Brazil and showed how this scenario is a major obstacle to peasant family farming There are no organic fertilizer factories in Brazil there are 1,200 organic fertilizer factories and they make fertilizer with organic matter with families’ and restaurants’ leftovers.  the goal is to build a rice harvester factory in Maranhão state with the possibility of serving the states of Pará and Tocantins; a factory in the Cariri region Ceará state; another in Rio Grande do Norte and a bio-input factory in Pernambuco state.  "Without a factory in the Northeast region We want these factories to come here to the Northeast so that we can expand the supply of mechanization at a fair price," explained Alexandre Lima Rio Grande do Norte's Secretary for Family Farming provided it is not altered and proper credit is given.