At the EDP Group, Portuguese multinational that operates throughout the value chain of the electricity sector, will invest a total of R$ 2.5 billion in the state of São Paulo. The resources include projects in the areas of Distribution, Solar Energy, Transmission and Electric Mobility during the 2019-2023 cycle, as well as social and cultural projects. These initiatives will generate 3,000 new jobs during the construction period, in addition to the 4,500 employees that EDP already employs directly or indirectly in São Paulo.

“This multinational group from Portugal, which operates in the electricity sector chain, has shown that it relies on investment conditions in the state of São Paulo, which will bring job and income generation to the population,” said Jõao Doria.

At the announcement was made during a hearing at the Palácio dos Bandeirantes, next to the governor. “These investments are a reflection of EDP confidence in Brazil and especially in the state of São Paulo, and our commitment to generate income, employment and social development, contributing to a country that has always welcomed us so well, ”says Miguel Setas, president of EDP in Brazil.

Focusing on the expansion and modernization of the electricity grid, infrastructure and service, EDP will invest in the 2019-2023 cycle, R$ 1.5 billion in the 28 municipalities of EDP São Paulo concession area, which covers the Alto Tietê, Vale do Paraíba and North Coast regions of the state. These resources will ensure the improvement of the quality, safety and reliability of the service provided to about 5 million people.

EDP has recently started in São José dos Campos, Vale do Paraíba, the construction of its new headquarters, which will manage part of the Group operation in Brazil in an integrated manner. Budgeted at R$ 30 million, the new building is part of the Company strategy to increase synergy between its areas, in order to ensure excellence in service delivery and customer satisfaction. EDP currently has more than 1,000 employees and outsourced employees in São José dos Campos and, with its new headquarters, will increase its workforce in the city by 30%, as part of the activities carried out by EDP sectors in several Brazilian cities will be made from this new building. The work is expected to be completed by early 2020.

In Transmission, the Company will invest around R$ 150 million in the São Paulo stretch of the 375 kilometers of power transmission lines that it is building between Cachoeira Paulista (SP) and the municipality of Estreito (MG).

Solar energy and electric mobility

Ato encourage Brazil energy transition and promote solutions based on non-polluting sources, the EDP Group will allocate R$ 700 million, through its subsidiary EDP Renováveis, to the construction of a photovoltaic solar park in Pereira Barreto, in north of state. The project will have more than 635,000 solar panels, divided into five parks that occupy an area equivalent to 545 soccer fields and installed capacity of 205 MW (megawatts). Operation is scheduled to start in 2021.

At the same time, EDP Brasil begins installing, this year, the first and largest ultra-fast electric vehicle recharging network in South America. The 30 new charging points will cover the entire state and connect São Paulo with the main electric corridors of the country, allowing complete trips by electric vehicle to Vitória (ES), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Curitiba (PR) or Florianópolis (SC). Investments in electric mobility in São Paulo amount to around R$ 40 million.

Appreciation of Luso-Brazilian culture

Among EDP priorities is the appreciation of the Luso-Brazilian culture. For this reason, the Company is the largest sponsor of the reconstruction of the Portuguese Language Museum in São Paulo and, more recently, has become the first master sponsor of the restoration of the Ipiranga Museum. The Company contributes a total of R$ 32 million to the recovery of both museums.

In the social sphere, EDP made investments in São Paulo that benefited almost 500 thousand people from 2016 to 2019. The Company also plans to allocate another R$ 15 million to social causes in the state over the next three years.

About EDP Group in Brazil

With over 20 years of experience, the EDP Group is present in the country through two companies, EDP Brasil and EDP Renováveis. EDP Brazil is one of the largest private companies in the electricity sector operating throughout the value chain. The Company, which has over 10,000 direct and outsourced employees, operates in Generation, Distribution, Transmission, Trading and Energy Services. It has six hydroelectric and one thermoelectric generation units, and serves about 3.4 million customers through its Distributors in São Paulo and Espírito Santo. EDP Renováveis focuses on the production of clean energy, mainly in the solar and wind segments. The EDP Group is a reference in areas such as Innovation, Governance and Sustainability, and EDP Brasil has been in the B3 Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) for 13 consecutive years.