“The Sun will not be taxed”, says Bolsonaro at the inauguration of an urban solar plant

“The Sun will not be taxed”, declared President Jair Bolsonaro again on Saturday (29), during the inauguration of a photovoltaic energy plant in the municipality of Caldas Novas (GO). The event was attended by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Bento Gonçalves, Governor Ronaldo Caiado and the director of ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency), Efrain Cruz.

In January, the president had already said that, after conversations with Congressional leadership, the “taxation” on the activity was “buried”. “You may remember, not long ago, an internet campaign 'No Taxing the Sun'. It was ANEEL who was deciding this, and the agencies are independent, their decisions have to be followed. And everything that has to do with electricity passes through there. I went to the president of the Chamber and said that, if ANEEL came to tax the Sun, I would not be able to do anything as president, but the Chamber could, together with the Senate, via project, annul and revoke ANEEL's decision and I had the support of the president of the Chamber at that moment”, said Bolsonaro during the event.

President supports solar energy in Brazil

Bolsonaro began to take a more firm stance on the issue after ANEEL presented the proposed revision of REN 482 (Normative Resolution no. 482/2012) at the end of October last year.

Niobium-Based Battery

Also during the event, the president highlighted the use of niobium for industrial production and argued that the element is analyzed for the production of a “super battery”. “Niobium is in the final stages of studies in some countries, together with graphene, where we will have the super battery. In the first phase, it can be recharged in a few minutes. In the future, in a few seconds”, declared Bolsonaro.

The president also highlighted that with the implementation of the solar plant by the tourist group it could become, in the near future, a vehicle filling station. “The possibilities for Brazil are countless”, highlighted Bolsonaro.

Largest urban solar plant in the country

The plant will supply the diRoma Group’s tourist developments

The plant, with a power of 5.6 MWp, was built with private resources and belongs to the Di Roma group, which has a tourist complex in the city of Goiás, whose main attraction is the thermal waters. The plant has 16,578 photovoltaic modules, occupying 3,220 m² in a garage-type coverage system, 3,800 m² on roofs and 75,000 m² on the ground.

According to Grupo diRoma, the project will serve the tourism-oriented enterprises that the company maintains in the city. “In total, the savings [of the group with electricity] will reach 85%”, estimates businesswoman Magda Mofatto Hon, founder of Grupo di Roma.