EN 
PT_BR 
The mining company Vale is installing one of the largest battery energy storage systems to supply electrical demand in Brazil at the Guaíba Island Terminal (RJ).
The project, which is being developed in partnership with Siemens and MPC (MicroPower Comerc), will reduce the port's energy costs by around 20% by replacing the supply from the concessionaire's electricity grid at times of peak demand, when the fare is more expensive.
The equipment has a storage capacity of 10 MWh, enough to serve 45,000 homes for one hour.
According to Vale, the application of this type of technology is an important step in the company's decarbonization strategy. The use of batteries is one of the technologies that should be applied to replace diesel with renewable electrical energy in transport equipment, such as locomotives and off-road trucks, for example.
Recently, the mining company announced an investment of around US$ 2 billion to reduce its absolute direct and indirect emissions by 33% by 2030, based on the Paris Agreement – a global treaty that aims to contain the increase in global warming – in addition to the intention to make become carbon neutral by 2050.
“As Vale continues to decarbonize its operations, the use of batteries will become an increasingly important part of the electrification of our equipment fleet. This project allows us to test in the field a new technology to accelerate Vale's energy transformation, which aims to achieve self-sufficiency by increasing electrical energy generation, mainly through solar and wind sources in addition to our hydroelectric generation”, explained Ricardo Mendes, Vale's Energy Director.
