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ENGIE commissions Assú Sol in Brazil

 

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Energy Global,

The Assú Sol photovoltaic complex, comprising 16 plants and representing ENGIE’s largest operational solar project worldwide, is now fully commissioned. The group received approval from the Brazilian authorities on 13 February 2026, following construction work completed in December 2025 and a total investment of BRL?3.3?billion.

Located on a 2344 ha. site in the State of Rio Grande do Norte in Northeast Brazil, Assú Sol will generate enough electricity to meet the annual needs of a city of 850 000 people. The project includes more than 1.5?million photovoltaic modules, 12 000?km of cabling, and 53?km of internal access roads.

Completed over a 30-month period – on time, on budget, and in full compliance with strict safety standards – construction of the complex created more than 4500 direct jobs and relied on advanced technologies rarely deployed at this scale, such as drone based aerial mapping, automated graders integrated with 3D models, and – for the first time in Brazil – a dedicated automatic pile driving machine for solar plants. These solutions enabled more precise, faster, and safer execution, while improving both industrial and environmental performance.

In addition to contributing to decarbonisation and strengthening energy security in the countries where it operates, the group is committed to ensuring local integration and shared socio economic development around its projects.

In the Assú region, ENGIE has carried out several initiatives including the construction of a school, a health centre, multisport facilities, improvements in access to water, and the donation of agricultural equipment.

In Brazil, ENGIE operates a fully renewable installed capacity of 15.7?GW, comprising hydropower, onshore wind, and solar assets. The group also operates 3200?km of transmission lines and 22 substations in the country.

In December 2025, the Serra do Assuruá wind complex, located in Gentio do Ouro in the State of Bahia in Northeast Brazil, became fully operational. With a capacity of 846?MW, it is the group’s largest onshore wind farm in operation worldwide. ENGIE has also commissioned the first 334 km segment of the Asa Branca transmission network in Bahia, strategic infrastructure that will ultimately extend over more than 1000?km across the States of Bahia, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. In addition to completing the remaining 660?km of this project, the Group is also implementing the Graúna project, which includes the construction of 780?km of transmission lines between Paraná and Santa Catarina.

“Assú Sol demonstrates our ability to deliver large scale renewable projects with efficiency and industrial excellence. Commissioning our largest solar complex worldwide – on time, on budget, and in close collaboration with local communities – reflects the knowhow of our teams and the strength of our renewable strategy in Brazil and internationally,” said Paulo Almirante, ENGIE Senior Executive Vice President in charge of Renewable and Flexible Power.

 

 

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