(ceara.gov.br) With great local potential for renewable energy generation, the Ceara government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the company CGN Brasil Energia (CGNBE), part of the CGN Group, one of the largest in China, for collaboration in the development of solar and wind energy projects and the green hydrogen chain.

Governor Elmano de Freitas emphasized the importance of the moment, especially with the resumption of international relations between Brazil and China, and with the large investments that have been made in Ceara in relation to the production of renewable energy. “Ceara is very happy with the investments that the company has already made in our territory, especially because it is in a very strategic area for our state, which is the renewable energy area. This memorandum that we signed is very important for the consolidation of our state in the production of renewable energy”, he pointed out.

“I consider the meeting between President Lula and Xi Jinping to be very important, in which we discussed the creation of six working groups of the Brazilian Government and the Government of the People’s Republic of China. Among these groups is one on infrastructure and Chinese investments in Brazil. So we have many possibilities for partnerships,” said the governor. “This diplomatic resumption will bear good fruit and this action by CGN in Ceara is another step towards consolidating the process of renewable energy production in the state and in Brazil,” he added.

The signed memorandum aims to develop an offshore wind project with an installed capacity of 1,000 MW located in the coastal region of the state of Ceara. The project will be developed in phases, with studies expected to begin this year. In addition, the document also highlights the development of solar and/or wind projects in Ceara with an installed capacity of up to 400 MW. In conjunction with the solar and/or wind project, CGNBE intends to develop a pilot green hydrogen plant.

Present at the signing of the MoU, CGNBE CEO and President Yao Zhigang thanked the State for its efforts in making this moment possible. “I appreciate all the support for us to be here discussing this very important memorandum, which deals with offshore energy production and green hydrogen. During the G20 meetings, we had the opportunity to talk about the Lagoinha Project and thus learn about Ceara, and this led other companies to see how rich Ceara is in natural resources,” commented the CEO.

Another purpose of the MoU is the implementation of the photovoltaic solar project mentioned by the CEO, called Lagoinha, with an installed capacity of 194 MWp, which will be located in the municipality of Russas. The project will require investments of around R$650 million, employing around 900 direct and indirect employees in all stages of its construction, in addition to the possibility of other new projects of scale, whose investments and jobs will be proportional to the projects.

The Chinese company is a state-owned group considered the largest nuclear energy company in China and the third largest in the world. “Our group is one of the world leaders in clean energy. We are among the largest in the world. At the same time that we produce clean energy, we generate tax revenue for the local community,” he concluded.

Happy with the strengthening of this partnership, the president of the Pecem Industrial and Port Complex (Cipp), Hugo Figueirêdo, celebrated the signing. “It is a pleasure to participate in yet another moment. CGN, in addition to having already installed a solar park in Ceara, also uses the services of the Port of Pecem to install other wind and solar parks in the Northeast. This is a partnership that has been advancing and will continue to advance even further,” he concluded.

In addition to those mentioned, the meeting was also attended by the Secretary of Economic Development, Salmito Filho; the Secretary of International Relations, Roseane Medeiros; the Secretary of Finance, Fabrizio Santos; and other authorities.