Pubblicazione del 10 Dicembre 2012 su “Financial Times”
Solaria Energy could form manufacturing JV after first year in Brazil, owner says Proprietary Intelligence Story Solaria Energy, a private Italy-based importer and distributor of solar energy equipment, could form a manufacturing joint venture in Brazil after its first operational year in the country, said Antonio Muoio, coowner and CEO. Solaria Energy’s first objective in the country is to start the commercialization of imported products, such as solar modules, work on project elaboration, and provide technical assistance on the implementation of solar plants up to one megawatt of installed capacity, Muoio said.
In November, Solaria Energy inaugurated a representative office in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, which should be operational in February 2013. Solaria had EUR 18m in revenues in 2011 and expects EUR 25m in revenues in 2012, according to Muoio.
Solaria sees a short-term business opportunity in Brazil, since the government is making a push to expand the production and use of renewable energy, Muoio said. However, depending on the market demand, which will be determined during the first operational year, Solaria Energy would be keen to form a joint venture to establish a solar module manufacturing plant in the country, and possibly create its own solar module brand, Muoio said.
The company is in talks with solar panel and power inverter manufacturers which have plans to enter the Brazilian market, including companies for which Solaria Energy already distributes in Europe. However, these companies are still in the process of deciding whether to enter Brazil and formulating plans to do so. It also depends on the importance given to brand awareness, he explained. In Europe, Solaria Energy does not work with its own brand because of the importance given by clients to the brand knowledge.
The ideal would be a 50-50 joint venture, he noted. The company welcomes approaches by potential partners, Muoio said.
CSUN, the Chinese solar module manufacturer, could be a potential partner, a source familiar with the situation said. CSUN was previously rumored to have interest in establishing a manufacturing facility in Brazil, but uncertainties about Brazilian solar energy demand have held it back for the moment, the source added. Once the demand increases, CSUN and other players, such as Kyocera, could gain confidence about entering Brazil, the source noted.
The Brazilian government imposes higher taxes on imported equipment, with a sliding scale based on whether the equipment is manufactured locally or not. Brazil already has Tecnometal, a Brazilian monocrystaline module manufacturer, and it will not take long until a local manufacturer emerges for other technologies, such as polycrystalline solar modules, a second industry source said.
The company predicts investing around EUR 5m in Brazil in the coming two years, including the office establishment, hiring of personnel, publicity, and project finance.