Solar energy is already present in football stadiums, such as Maracanã, Mineirão, Arena Pernambuco, among others. Now, it will also be promoting savings and sustainability for Atlético Mineiro facilities.
The club became the first in Brazil to be self-sustainable, producing clean and renewable energy in its five structures: Cidade do Galo, CT, the administrative headquarters in the Lourdes neighborhood, in Belo Horizonte (MG), in addition to its social clubs , Labareda and Vila Olímpica.
The photovoltaic DG (distributed generation) project was carried out through a commercial agreement with Solatio Free Energy, which has sponsored the team since 2017. To supply these locations, the company set up the Usina do Galo in the city of Verdelândia, north of Minas Gerais, where solar energy is generated.
To power these locations, the company set up the Galo Plant in the city of Verdelândia, in the north of Minas Gerais, where solar energy is generated. The plant has 2,2 MW of power and was installed in an area of 3 hectares – which corresponds to 30 thousand m².
The estimate is that the football team will have savings of R$2 million in the first 18 months of the contract. After this period, over the next 20 years, the team will save 10% on their energy bills.
“Galo started consuming 100% renewable energy based on solar generation in the city of Verdelândia, 500 km from Belo Horizonte. This plant was leased to Clube Atlético Mineiro and the energy is used in all of the team's facilities. It is injected in Verdelândia using the local distribution network so that it arrives in BH”, explained Walter Fróes, CEO of Solatio Energia Livre
“It is a very important step, highly sustainable, a very successful model. It also means an effective reduction in energy costs. I would still dare to say one more thing: perhaps this clean sustainable source is bringing good energy to the Galo team”, said Froés.
According to Gabriel Guimarães, Atlético Mineiro’s Director of Assets, the results of the partnership established with Solatio have had the effects the club expected. “Today, in the north of Minas Gerais, a region that needs it so much, with large-scale investments and high technology, Atlético will make huge savings on its electricity bills,” he emphasized.
Leandro Figueiredo, Business Director at Atlético Mineiro, also highlighted the team's initiative and said that this innovative project means that Galo has a management format that will be a trend in the world.
“When we talk about business, we understand that there is no point in just bringing sponsorships and creating monetization through our communication channels with fans. We also need, in a sustainable way, to think about the future of the planet. And this Usina do Galo, in addition to generating exponential savings for our cash flow, allows us to have a much more competitive and robust structure, where we can reallocate investments to other parts of the club”, explained Figueiredo.
“Sustainability is part of our DNA. It is one of the fronts of our work. In fact, in the second half of 2021, we will promote other sustainable actions that will generate several benefits for our fans”, added the executive.
