Statkraft, Europe’s largest generator of renewable energy, is now offering renewable power tracked by International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs) in Brazil. The certificates will be backed by its windfarm Macaúbas in Bahia.

Statkraft offers Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) adherent to the International REC Standard (I-REC Standard) to customers with operations in Brazil and helps renewable generators to register for this new certificates standard. The first certificates to be issued in Brazil will be produced by Statkraft’s 35 megawatts windfarm Macaúbas, located in Bahia. The windfarm, co-owned with the Brazilian pension fund FUNCEF, was commissioned in July 2012 and has an average annual production of 140 gigawatt hours.

“We supported Instituto Totum in becoming the first local issuer for the I-REC Standard and in implementing this market together with stakeholders,” says Kleber Costa, Head of International Markets Brazil at Statkraft.

“In addition to supporting our own power generation business, we will also work with other renewable generators in Brazil to certify their assets and market the certificates for them.”

“We are happy to pioneer the development of the I-REC Standard in Brazil. It makes us proud to be the first generator in the market to register a power plant under this scheme. I-RECs will provide reliable support for renewable production in Brazil and will help to promote the development of new renewable capacity in the system,” says Fernando de Lapuerta, CEO of Statkraft in Brazil.

This is not the first time Statkraft has supported the development of renewable markets internationally, as its work in this field started 15 years ago in the European markets. Recently Statkraft has been helping to develop these markets internationally as they have seen the benefits of these systems first hand.

“We have been offering I-RECs in other countries and are happy to add Brazil to the map. Consumers are becoming increasingly knowledgeable and interested in where their electricity comes from. One great example of this trend is the RE100, a group of larger companies committed to 100% renewable power,” says Abderrahman Kasmi, Senior Originator from Statkraft’s Global Environmental Markets team.

The I-REC Standard is an initiative for the tracking of electricity that helps end-users reliably document the origin of their electricity consumption where established REC markets do not exist. Every I-REC is equivalent to 1 megawatt hour of electricity produced by a renewable power source. Instituto Totum is the Brazilian certification body responsible for the verification of power generation projects in Brazil and the RECs issuance.

Tags: Statkraft