GE to Double Capacity at Brazil’s Biggest Solar Energy Project

General Electric Co. (GE), the world’s biggest maker of electricity-generating equipment, will add 1 megawatt of power capacity to Brazil’s largest solar plant, and may eventually expand the facility to 50 megawatts.

GE will erect panels next to MPX Energia SA (MPXE3)’s facility in the northeastern city of Taua, GE said today in a joint statement with the Brazilian energy company that’s controlled by Brazilian billionaire Eike Batista. MPX’s existing 1-megawatt plant comprises of 4,680 panels, enough to power about 1,500 households, Fairfield, Connecticut-based GE said.

MPX has secured federal and state licenses to expand the project up to 5 megawatts.

“Working with GE, we plan to grow our business at this plant to 50 megawatts,” Eduardo Karrer, the chief executive officer of Rio De Janeiro-based MPX, said in the statement.

GE will use its own thin-film panels, inverters, transformers and monitoring and control systems at the facility, according to the statement.

To contact the reporter on this story: Stephan Nielsen in Sao Paulo at snielsen8@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Will Wade at wwade4@bloomberg.net