• Sonae Arauco and Sidenhol (Enhol Group) have signed a renewable energy contract for the installation of photovoltaic panels at the industrial plant in Linares.
  
• The power purchase agreement has a duration of ten years.
  

• Photovoltaic energy production will account for 12% of the total consumption of this industrial unit.
  
• The impact of the project will avoid more than 1,530 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

Sonae Arauco has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Sidenhol, a subsidiary of the Enhol Group company, for the installation of photovoltaic panels at the Linares industrial unit. The agreement has a duration of ten years and its objective is to supply energy from photovoltaic panels to this unit.

The project, which will be implemented during this year, will have an installed capacity that will produce around 12% of the electricity consumed annually.

According to Sebastián Prieto, Plant Manager of Linares, "this is a natural step for Sonae Arauco, insofar as, since our genesis, we have worked on the development and implementation of more efficient processes, not only from the point of view of technical performance, but also environmentally". He adds: "choosing Grupo Enhol as a partner gives us great confidence in this project, as they have a technology that has already been extensively tested and, in addition, they guarantee the materials used throughout their life cycle".

Sonae Arauco is a company committed to the evolution of its entire value chain to reduce the footprint associated with its activity. In this context, taking into account its industrial reality and a geographical location with excellent solar exposure, Linares is the first photovoltaic energy production project for self-consumption, as part of a series of initiatives that Sonae Arauco is finalising in the different industrial units.

This renewable energy project ensures the production of a significant part of the Linares industrial unit's energy needs and reduces its exposure to energy from fossil fuels, in line with Sonae Arauco's decarbonisation objectives. In this context, through the products it places on the market, the company already ensures an average annual retention of around two thousand tonnes of CO₂ and currently has several projects underway to address the challenge of climate change.