EN 
PT_BR 
In 17th place among the states with the highest installed power in Brazil, Paraíba has been remodeling itself this year and attracting large investments in the photovoltaic sector, with the approval of projects for the construction of factories, parks and solar plants.
Last week, on a visit to the backlands of Paraíba, the general director of ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency), André Pepitone, revealed that the northeastern state is expected to receive an investment of more than R$ 10 billion in projects aimed at developing the source in five years.
The executive was in the region to sign the release of grants for the implementation of photovoltaic plants in the municipality of Santa Luzia. “We will grant the construction of 12 solar parks that will provide R$ 2.4 billion of investment,” he said.
Work on the new plants should begin between November and December this year. All are expected to be delivered by the end of 2026 and the first unit is expected to start generating energy in March 2023.
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In addition to the new projects, Paraíba also signed other agreements this year to promote solar energy in the region. In June, for example, the state government promised to build the largest solar panel factory in Latin America, in João Pessoa.
The unit is expected to come into operation in January 2022, in the municipality's industrial district, in an area of 18 thousand m². More than R$ 70 million were invested in its construction, with expected revenue of R$ 160 million in the first year of operation alone.
The space will be managed by the Balfar Solar group, which foresees an estimated production of more than 150 thousand pieces of solar panels per year, with a power of 340 to 450 Wp for the national market. The company estimates that it will generate around 100 direct jobs and 3,000 indirect jobs, the majority of which will be local labor.
In recent interviews, Governor João Azevêdo said that the idea of investing heavily in the source is to make the State a national reference in the photovoltaic sector and, at the same time, generate new business opportunities and the capacity to expand the supply of jobs and income for the population.
Currently, according to data from ANEEL, Paraíba has 129 MW of solar power installed in 195 municipalities. This is a number that, at the moment, is well below the states with the highest generation in the country, such as Minas Gerais (1.3 GW), São Paulo (913 MW) and Rio Grande do Sul (874 MW).
