{"id":60056989,"date":"2024-10-25T14:41:07","date_gmt":"2024-10-25T13:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/?p=60056989"},"modified":"2024-10-31T12:28:28","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T12:28:28","slug":"solar-power-boom-stokes-disputes-with-communities-in-brazils-caatinga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/energy\/solar-power-boom-stokes-disputes-with-communities-in-brazils-caatinga\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar power boom stokes disputes with communities in Brazil\u2019s Caatinga"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The rapid expansion of solar power plants in a semi-arid region of north-eastern Brazil is destroying the environment and impacting agriculture, according to locals. Rural communities across two states in the Serid\u00f3, a region which is home to a Unesco-recognised <a href=\"http:\/\/geoparqueserido.com.br\/\">geopark<\/a>, say they have had problems with developers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three quilombola communities \u2013 those formed by descendants of enslaved African people \u2013 and a rural village in the state of Para\u00edba say traditional ways of life are being affected. To the north in Rio Grande do Norte, quilombola groups say they are suffering from the deforestation of the Caatinga, a vast, semi-arid shrubland biome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Caatinga, which has the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.br\/mma\/pt-br\/assuntos\/biodiversidade-e-biomas\/biomas-e-ecossistemas\/biomas\/caatinga\">greatest biodiversity<\/a> of any semi-arid region in the world, is one of the ecosystems <a href=\"https:\/\/agencia.fapesp.br\/apenas-75-da-caatinga-esta-protegida\/17460#:~:text=Ag%C3%AAncia%20FAPESP%20%E2%80%93%20A%20Caatinga%20%C3%A9,s%C3%A3o%20%C3%A1reas%20de%20prote%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20integral.\">least resilient<\/a> to climate change in Brazil. It is estimated that <a href=\"https:\/\/agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br\/geral\/noticia\/2024-04\/brasil-ja-perdeu-34-milhoes-de-hectares-de-caatinga\">10% of its territory<\/a> is in the process of desertification. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www1.folha.uol.com.br\/ambiente\/2023\/03\/rio-salitre-na-bahia-seca-e-ameaca-sobrevivencia-de-comunidades-rurais.shtml\">some villages<\/a>, rivers have dried up and houses have been abandoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dialogue Earth\u2019s analysis of data published by the National Institute for Space Research\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/terrabrasilis.dpi.inpe.br\/downloads\/\">Terra Brasilis<\/a> platform shows that only 8.8% of the Caatinga is protected in conservation areas. In the last two years, around 1,000 hectares of the biome in Para\u00edba state have been cleared to build renewable energy plants, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/plataforma.alerta.mapbiomas.org\/mapa?monthRange%5B0%5D=2023-07&amp;monthRange%5B1%5D=2024-07&amp;sources%5B0%5D=All&amp;territoryType=state&amp;territoryIds%5B0%5D=18388&amp;authorization=all&amp;embargoed=all&amp;locationType=alert_code&amp;activeBaseMap=7&amp;map=-6.968218%2C-36.859300%2C12&amp;deforestationClasses%5B0%5D=RenewableEnergyProject\">data from the MapBiomas platform<\/a>. In Rio Grande do Norte, deforestation for the same purpose reportedly totalled 1,600 hectares over the same period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20241024_EN_Solar-vs-Quilombola-Serido_Brazil_map.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20241024_EN_Solar-vs-Quilombola-Serido_Brazil_map-768x668.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20241024_EN_Solar-vs-Quilombola-Serido_Brazil_map-1024x891.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20241024_EN_Solar-vs-Quilombola-Serido_Brazil_map.jpg 2560w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 2560px\" alt=\"map of solar farms in Brazil's Caatinga biome\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\">(Data source: <a href=\"https:\/\/globalenergymonitor.org\/projects\/global-solar-power-tracker\/tracker-map\/\">Global Energy Monitor<\/a>; Map: Dialogue Earth)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20241024_EN_Solar-vs-Quilombola-Serido_Brazil_map.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"639 KB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"2227\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-impact-of-solar-farm-developments\">Impact of solar farm developments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the north of Para\u00edba, S\u00e3o Paulo-based company Rio Alto operates the Santa Luzia solar complex, a project that will consist of 28 power plants neighbouring the area of the Pitombeira quilombola community, where <a href=\"https:\/\/cpisp.org.br\/pitombeira-pb\/\">around 70 families live<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When construction began in 2022, the state government <a href=\"https:\/\/paraiba.pb.gov.br\/noticias\/joao-azevedo-anuncia-instalacoes-de-maior-fabrica-de-painel-solar-da-america-latina-e-de-maior-usina-solar-do-brasil-na-paraiba\">labelled<\/a> the project as the largest solar facility in the country. The first plant went into operation in <a href=\"https:\/\/api.mziq.com\/mzfilemanager\/v2\/d\/88e00a48-6b6c-407d-b612-de15bcfe9fde\/5fc192ac-952e-05b0-20c9-2c8def344ae2?origin=1\">September<\/a>, and the others should start operating by 2027, totalling more than 2.6 million photovoltaic panels and 1.4 gigawatts of installed capacity. To achieve this, up to 1,500 hectares could be cleared, Rio Alto said. Residents of the Pitombeira community say dynamite explosions during construction have caused cracks in cisterns and the walls of several houses, and that the project has already silted up rivers in the neighbourhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image alignleft block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cracked-cistern_Pitombeira_Santa-Luiza_solar-complex_Paraiba_Brazil_Yasmin-Formiga.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cracked-cistern_Pitombeira_Santa-Luiza_solar-complex_Paraiba_Brazil_Yasmin-Formiga-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cracked-cistern_Pitombeira_Santa-Luiza_solar-complex_Paraiba_Brazil_Yasmin-Formiga-683x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cracked-cistern_Pitombeira_Santa-Luiza_solar-complex_Paraiba_Brazil_Yasmin-Formiga.jpg 1707w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 1707px\" alt=\"a stick placed on a cracked cistern \"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\">A cracked cistern in the Pitombeira quilombola community, north of Para\u00edba \u2013 damage that residents attribute to dynamite explosions from construction of the neighbouring Santa Luzia solar complex (Image: Yasmin Formiga)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cracked-cistern_Pitombeira_Santa-Luiza_solar-complex_Paraiba_Brazil_Yasmin-Formiga.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"1707\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe water in the Sabugi River used to be clear and now it\u2019s muddy. Where it used to be fished, it\u2019s no longer fished,\u201d says Jos\u00e9 Amaro da Silva, president of the State Coordination of Black and Quilombola Communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rio Alto claims its activities have no impact on the Sabugi River and that it analysed the waters of another nearby watercourse, the Riacho do Rolo, last year, but found no changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur designer showed that the works had no influence on water quality,\u201d Renata Vilela, the group\u2019s environmental manager, tells Dialogue Earth<em>. <\/em>The company promotes environmental education <a href=\"http:\/\/dspace.sti.ufcg.edu.br:8080\/jspui\/bitstream\/riufcg\/29213\/1\/PAPILON%20MILLER%20DE%20ARA%C3%9AJO%20%E2%80%93%20TCC%20%E2%80%93%20ENGENHARIA%20AMBIENTAL%202023.pdf\">activities<\/a> with the quilombola community, with which it maintains a good relationship, she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Community leader Francisca Zu\u00edla dos Santos confirms there has been dialogue with the company but adds that \u201cthat doesn\u2019t mean we\u2019re going to turn a blind eye to the damage caused\u201d. Furthermore, for her, the company\u2019s analysis \u201cdidn\u2019t show the reality\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zu\u00edla dos Santos says the deforestation and soil compaction caused by the works had led to the filling in of <em>barreiros<\/em> \u2013 traditional reservoirs dug into the ground to store rainwater. In addition, the water of the Riacho do Rolo, which was once clean, \u201cturned into a sea of mud\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEven the animals don\u2019t want to drink it,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Coremas, in the same state, Rio Alto operates the Coremas solar complex, with an installed capacity of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gruporioalto.com.br\">365 MW<\/a>. The project, which is already active, has led to clashes with the M\u00e3e D\u2019\u00c1gua and Santa Tereza quilombola communities, whose leaders accuse the company of unfulfilled promises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Damiana Tomaz, a local leader and resident of Santa Tereza, the company promised to renovate the community association\u2019s headquarters and set up a recycling centre, but so far nothing has progressed \u2013 only a well has been built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe companies come with difficult conversations that we don\u2019t understand,\u201d she says. \u201cAt first, they assured us that they would help. Then, over time, we began to realise that the plant could harm us.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To protect their rights, the residents of the three quilombola communities are drawing up the protocol of Free, Prior and Informed Consent, in accordance with Convention 169 of the International Labour Organization, which gives people from traditional communities rights over developments on their land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-did-you-know alignleft block--did-you-know\"><p class=\"block--did-you-know__title\"><strong>ILO\u2019s Convention 169<\/strong><\/p><div class=\"block--did-you-know__content\"><p>Brazil has signed the International Labour Organization\u2019s Convention 169, which guarantees Indigenous peoples affected by infrastructure projects the right to free, prior and informed consent. The convention was ratified in 2002 and entered into force the following year.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>They are all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.br\/palmares\/pt-br\/midias\/arquivos-menu-departamentos\/dpa\/comunidades-certificadas\/crqs-certificadas-03-06-2024.pdf\">certified<\/a> as quilombola communities by the federal government, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www1.folha.uol.com.br\/cotidiano\/2024\/03\/entenda-como-funciona-a-certificacao-de-quilombos-no-brasil.shtml\">first step<\/a> in a process of recognising land ownership \u2013 which many other quilombola groups still lack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Health worker Deuziene da Silva has worked in the rural village of Pau de Leite in Malta, in the Para\u00edba hinterland, for more than two decades. In 2018, farmers leased out their land for the installation of a solar power plant, forcing out the smallholders that had been using it. As a result, dozens of families had to leave their homes and move to the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey are small farmers who used to live off the land and now live from small jobs on the outskirts,\u201d Silva says. \u201cThey received a pittance in the cancellation of their contract with their bosses and they were displaced.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs if that wasn\u2019t enough, we believe that the herbicide used to stop the bush from growing under the panels has contaminated the Arcoverde reservoir, which supplies Malta,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dialogue Earth reached out via email and phone to Proton Energy, which operates the Angico and Malta complex, near the Engenheiro Arcoverde reservoir, but received no response by the time of publication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/dadosabertos.aneel.gov.br\/dataset\/siga-sistema-de-informacoes-de-geracao-da-aneel\/resource\/76310626-e2e0-4880-b199-d63fe287f279\">data<\/a> from the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel), more than 90 solar plants are currently under construction or being planned in Para\u00edba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-deforestation-of-the-caatinga\">Deforestation of the Caatinga <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the municipality of A\u00e7u, in Rio Grande do Norte, the community of Bela Vista da Lagoa do Piat\u00f3 has suffered the consequences of the clearing of the Caatinga for the installation of the Ass\u00fa Sol Complex, owned by Engie Brasil, a subsidiary of the French company of the same name. The families report that, without the protection of the vegetation, sandstorms have become more frequent, especially during the drier periods, aggravating erosion and making planting more difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/clearing-vegetation_Assu-Sol-Complex_Assu_RN_Brazil_Dulce-Bentes.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/clearing-vegetation_Assu-Sol-Complex_Assu_RN_Brazil_Dulce-Bentes-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/clearing-vegetation_Assu-Sol-Complex_Assu_RN_Brazil_Dulce-Bentes-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/clearing-vegetation_Assu-Sol-Complex_Assu_RN_Brazil_Dulce-Bentes.jpg 2560w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 2560px\" alt=\"A bulldozer on a dirt road\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\">Clearing of Caatinga vegetation near the Bela Vista da Lagoa do Piat\u00f3 community, Rio Grande do Norte, for the installation of the Ass\u00fa Sol Complex. Residents report that, without the protection of the vegetation, sandstorms have become more frequent, aggravating erosion and making planting more difficult (Image: Dulce Bentes)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/clearing-vegetation_Assu-Sol-Complex_Assu_RN_Brazil_Dulce-Bentes.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1920\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe destruction is heartbreaking,\u201d says quilombola leader Edvan Costa, of the State Committee for Racial Equality. \u201cThe machines exterminate the vegetation so that it can\u2019t grow back. They open a ditch and throw everything in without even leaving an ecological corridor [an essential link between different areas of habitat].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s more, when it rains, the water doesn\u2019t seep in because the trees have been cut down, and the mud on the roads gets in the way of traffic,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Residents have also been bitten by jararacas, Costa notes. With the loss of their habitat, the venomous snakes have started appearing&nbsp;near their homes. The community is also certified by the federal government, but does not yet hold the land title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEven the counterparts promised by Engie are taking a long time,\u201d Costa adds. \u201cThe water tank and the school haven\u2019t started to be built yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a statement, the company, which operates the complex remotely from Florian\u00f3polis in the south, said it is working with federal agencies to reforest the area and has teams for rescue actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Partial operation of the Ass\u00fa Sol solar complex, with an installed capacity of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.engie.com.br\/uploads\/2024\/04\/ENGIE_RS2023.pdf\">752 MW<\/a>, is scheduled to begin this month, according to the company. Engie Brasil also said it had donated agricultural equipment and provided training for the quilombola community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The community is located about 100 kilometres from the Serid\u00f3 Geopark, one of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unesco.org\/pt\/node\/104598\">six<\/a> in Brazil. Recognised by Unesco as a heritage site of international importance, the area is considered unique for its geological diversity. Around 20 solar projects have been authorised by Aneel in municipalities that are within the geopark, in the Rio Grande do Norte part of the Serid\u00f3 region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe geosites are rich in minerals such as scheelite, a source of tungsten, recent volcanic rocks, fossils and ancient cave paintings,\u201d says Marcos Nascimento, the territory\u2019s scientific coordinator. \u201cBefore, wind farms were coming on strong. Now solar is starting to arrive. We\u2019re paying attention because if a renewable power plant is going to be installed in the area, it should be done within the highest standards of sustainability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cave-paintings_Serido-geopark-unesco_RN_Brazil_Marcos-Nascimento.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cave-paintings_Serido-geopark-unesco_RN_Brazil_Marcos-Nascimento-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cave-paintings_Serido-geopark-unesco_RN_Brazil_Marcos-Nascimento-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cave-paintings_Serido-geopark-unesco_RN_Brazil_Marcos-Nascimento.jpg 2560w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 2560px\" alt=\"A rock wall featuring cave paintings\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\">Cave paintings in the Serid\u00f3 Geopark, Rio Grande do Norte, an area recognised by Unesco as a heritage site of international importance. Around 20 solar projects have been authorised in municipalities within the geopark (Image: Marcos Nascimento)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cave-paintings_Serido-geopark-unesco_RN_Brazil_Marcos-Nascimento.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1707\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-solar-boom-in-the-northeast\">Solar boom in the Northeast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Brazil\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/borealsolar.com.br\/blog\/2016\/10\/26\/potencial-de-energia-solar-quais-as-melhores-regioes-brasileiras-para-captacao-da-luz-solar\/\">solar energy boom<\/a> is largely focused in the country\u2019s Northeast region, where rates of energy from the sun are highest. Together, centralised and distributed generation of solar energy there adds up to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bnb.gov.br\/s482-dspace\/bitstream\/123456789\/1849\/1\/2023_CDS_295.pdf\">7.9 GW of installed capacity<\/a>, equivalent to more than half the power of the Itaipu hydroelectric plant, Brazil\u2019s largest dam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the country\u2019s new energy transition plan launched in August, solar generation is expected to <a href=\"https:\/\/iea.blob.core.windows.net\/assets\/96d66a8b-d502-476b-ba94-54ffda84cf72\/Renewables_2023.pdf\">more than double<\/a> in the next four years to meet Brazil\u2019s growing demand for electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The world\u2019s largest manufacturer of solar equipment, China, is <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/business\/new-three-china-solar-cell-lithium-battery-ev\/\">supplying<\/a> modules, inverters and other components, as well as financing large generation projects in the Northeast, Southeast and, more recently, the Centre-West region. That\u2019s according to the Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association (Absolar), the leading industry group that brings together 800 domestic and foreign companies active in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is rare to find a solar project in Brazil that does not rely on <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/energy\/solar-power-is-booming-in-brazil-can-it-be-a-boom-for-all\/\">technology from China<\/a>. The Rio Alto Group, for example, has&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.absolar.org.br\/noticia\/huawei-vai-fornecer-ai-para-aumentar-producao-de-usina-solar-no-nordeste\/\">collaborated<\/a>&nbsp;with China\u2019s Huawei to implement artificial intelligence in the Coremas plants. Rio Alto also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trinasolar.com\/pt\/resources\/newsroom\/thu-11172022-1321\">uses<\/a> solar trackers supplied by Trina Solar, another leading Chinese company in the photovoltaic sector, in its projects in Brazil, such as the complex next to the Pitombeira quilombola community in Santa Luzia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere is growing interest from Chinese entrepreneurs in Brazilian opportunities, including the development of stationary storage batteries. The partnership is welcome and will help accelerate the energy transition,\u201d says Rodrigo Sauaia, CEO of Absolar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Asian country <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scielo.br\/j\/ecos\/a\/p5RvczPvhM7ts7QRbjNtRSz\/?format=pdf&amp;lang=pt\">entered<\/a> the Brazilian electricity sector in 2005, with its companies becoming major players and operating large hydroelectric plants. According to data from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aei.org\/china-global-investment-tracker\/\">China Global Investment Tracker<\/a>, investments in energy projects and contracts by Chinese giants such as China Three Gorges and State Grid have already totalled USD 60 billion in Brazil.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The growth in solar farms in the country\u2019s north-east has led to criticism from traditional communities over impacts on landscapes and water in the Caatinga 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