American Tower expanding Brazil solar plant

Telecoms infra group American Tower is expanding a photovoltaic solar plant it maintains in Brazil’s Frutal, Minas Gerais state, to supply its local neutral fiber network.

Around 2,280 new photovoltaic solar panels will be added to the 2020-launched park, taking the total to 7,200, the company said in a release.

Financial details were not disclosed. The expansion is being carried out by CGC Energia, the same group responsible for the first phase of the project.

The plant is in the distributed generation format, with the renewable energy source being directly injected into the public power distribution grid. With the expansion, American Tower expects to reduce emissions by 430t of CO² annually.

At present, American Tower has over 25,000km of fiber for wholesale use crossing five Brazilian states, although only the backbone in Minas Gerais is effectively in operation. The network is available in 120 locations in the state. Telefônica Brasil is the company's chief client for the neutral fiber service.

“This growth is part of our plan, after the launch in 2019 in the state of Minas Gerais of the first neutral FTTH network in Brazil, which closed 2022 with approximately 1mn HPs (homes passed)," Daniel Laper, senior director of fiber and new business at American Tower, said in the statement.

Abel Camargo, VP and general manager of fiber and new business for Latin America, said that American Tower is mulling expanding the neutral FTTH network in Brazil and in other Latin American countries.