Grow Energy starts construction of UPAC ate the ceramic group Ceragês

Grow Energy contracted, through its investment vehicle Grow Energy Invest, SA, the installation of 1 more UPAC in Portugal.

This time, Grow Energy will build a 482kWp Photovoltaic Plant for self-consumption of electricity by Ceragês, a ceramics company located in the region of Mortágua, district of Viseu. This is a project that will allow Ceragês to produce 694MWh of energy annually – 33.5% of its needs – and avoid the emission of 215 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.

  • Aerial view of Cerages
  • 3D model of UPAC Cerages

As Luís Pereira de Almeida, General Manager of Grow Energy, points out, “this is a particularly interesting project because it combines the useful with the pleasant by allowing not only considerable savings and a more sustainable positioning in an industry that consumes a lot of energy as is the case of ceramics. , as well as allowing the replacement of a fiber cement covering with all the benefits in terms of reducing risks to the health of Ceragês employees that this represents”.

With this project, Grow Energy Invest increases the number of Photovoltaic Plants in its portfolio to 30, making a total of 4.7MWp.

Massimo Zanetti towards a more sustainable future

Grow Energy has just inaugurated at Massimo Zanetti Beverage Iberia the first of two Photovoltaic Plants intended for self-consumption of electricity.

With an installed capacity of 197kWp, this first UPAC will allow theMassimo Zanetti Group to produce around 270MWh of electricity per year, which corresponds to around 30% of its energy needs, avoiding the annual emission of 84 tons of CO2 for the atmosphere.

In early 2021, the installation of a second UPAC will follow, on the same premises.

According to Luís Pereira de Almeida, General Manager of Grow Energy, “this partnership with Massimo Zanetti, which started simultaneously with the reconversion of the factory itself, represents an excellent example of collaboration with a multinational company that seeks to maximize the sustainability of its operations” .

Massimo Zanetti Beverage Iberia is a subsidiary of the Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group, the Italian group that owns the well-known Segafredo brand, and which in 2016 acquired the Portuguese Nicola and Chave D’Ouro, giving rise to a company with an Iberian dimension. The group produces and sells everything from coffee beans or ground to capsules, and is present in the Food Service and Mass Market channels with differentiated ranges and high quality products.

Internationally, Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group is the world leader in espresso coffee, operating throughout the coffee chain “from the plant to the cup”. With about 3,000 employees spread across more than 54 subsidiaries around the world, the group has more than 30 local brands and 400 coffee boutiques in 50 countries, Segafredo is the group’s most internationally recognized brand.

Grow Energy acquires 1.9 MW Solar Portfolio

Grow Energy, through its investment vehicle Grow Solar UPP, S.A., concluded in February the acquisition of a portfolio of 10 Photovoltaic Plants under the UPP regime – Small Production Unit, located in the Alentejo region.

The acquired Photovoltaic Plants are mostly in operation or in the final stages of construction, reaching a total installed capacity of 1.9MW. With an annual production capacity of 2.9GWh, equivalent to the consumption of around 800 Portuguese families, they help prevent the emission of 913 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere annually.

  • UPP in the Alentejo Region

As Luís Pereira de Almeida, general manager of Grow Energy, points out,“this acquisition enriches the portfolio of Grow Solar UPP and reinforces its position as the main investor in Portugal in this segment of renewable energy assets, already surpassing the threshold of 9MW of installed capacity“. On the other hand, “it is a unique portfolio in the market and of undeniable quality, built on scattered farms in Alentejo”, he adds.

It should be noted that the UPP regime was created in 2014, under DL 153/2014, having recently been replaced by DL 162/2019, which allowed, among other aspects, the licensing of projects of up to 1 MW of total power.

Luís Vicente bets on Solar Energy with Grow Energy

The Luís Vicente Group, one of the largest national producers and distributors of fruit and vegetables, signed a contract with Grow Energy for the installation of 3 Photovoltaic Centers for self-consumption – UPAC – in 3 of its manufacturing and storage units.

In total, the UPAC will represent an installed capacity of 941 kWp and will begin construction during the first half of 2020.

The Luís Vicente Group is part of the Nuvi Group, a strong business group, with more than 5,000 employees, 8 business units, present in more than 15 countries, and with 30 brands in the portfolio.

Grow Energy start with production of 2 more UPAC

Grow Energy concluded today, through its investment vehicle G2ER Solar One Portugal, SA, the installation of another 2 UPAC.

These Photovoltaic Plants were installed in two factories of the Valco Group, in Leiria, reaching a total installed capacity of 1.5MW. With an annual production capacity of more than 2.1GWh, equivalent to the consumption of around 600 Portuguese families, this project makes it possible to avoid the annual emission of 661 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.

  • UPAC Valco,, 1 MWp
  • UPAC Emprimade, 467 kWp

As Rui Oliveira, CEO of the Valco Group, points out, “this project represents the serious commitment that our companies have with sustainability, as we operate in the entire forest sector, from the production of raw materials to the sale of the finished product, for its transformation to a wide variety of uses.”

G2ER Solar One Portugal currently has 4 Photovoltaic Plants in operation, making a total of 2.7 MWp.