The possibility of choosing the electricity supplier is attracting concessionaires that manage assets in the mobility sector in Brazil, such as airports and bus stations, to migrate to the free energy market.
Migration progress occurred faster in the airport segment. The movement was driven by the possibility of adopting the purchase of renewable energy, given the international context of targets for the decarbonization of the aviation sector.
According to Echoenergia’s commercial manager, Lucas Harb, one of the peculiarities of this type of customer is the consumption schedules, given that larger airports tend to operate without stops, while smaller ones have greater variation in energy demand.
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“The issue is to understand behavior or consumption as a whole, to deeply understand that consumer unit, to bring a product that meets the characteristics and needs of airports”, he explains.
Examples of Belém and Macapá
The company has a renewable energy supply contract on the free market with Norte da Amazônia Airports, concessionaire for the international airports of Belém (Val-de-Cans) and Macapá (Alberto Alcolumbre).
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Together, the two airports have an energy consumption of 1.64 average megawatts (MWm). The units migrated to the free market in October 2023 and are served by energy generated from solar sources. In total, Echoenergia estimates that opting for renewable energy leads terminals to avoid emitting 4,245 tons of carbon per year.
According to the CEO of Norte da Amazônia Airports, Marco Antônio Migliorini, the interest in purchasing renewable energy is linked to the realization of the
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2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30) in the region.
“The airport sector needs to continually evolve, incorporating practices and technologies that promote sustainability,” he stated.
Other airports
Similar solutions were also adopted at the airports of Florianópolis (SC) and Vitória (ES), operated by Zurich Airport Brazil.
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In May 2024, the concessionaire implemented a system that allows the purchase of electricity on the free market, with the I-Rec renewable source certificate, to supply aircraft on the ground, which reduces the consumption of kerosene for the aircraft’s turbine. and external diesel generators.
The estimate is that the initiative will reduce annual emissions of around 1,300 tons of carbon at the Florianópolis terminal and 1,200 tons in Vitória.
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The project had the support of the Brazilian Association of Airlines (Abear) and the Brazilian Association of Airports (ABR).
“The decarbonization journey of the airline sector is a broad commitment, which involves companies and airports,” said the president of Abear, Jurema Monteiro, in a statement released at the time of the announcement.
Similar initiatives are underway at São Paulo International Airport, in Guarulhos, in addition to Brasília, Porto Alegre and Fortaleza, served by Engie.
The search for decarbonization has not only occurred among airports granted to the private sector, but also among those operated by Infraero.
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In December 2024, for example, Santos Dumont Airport (RJ) was recertified by the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) for actions to reduce carbon emissions, which include the purchase of renewable energy on the free market.
Bus stations
The Echoenergia executive points out that there is still a great potential for migration between bus stations in the country.
According to Harb, as they have a lower consumption profile, many bus terminals only began to have the option of migrating to the free energy market from January 2024, when the free contracting environment was opened to all high voltage consumers. (group A).
“There are opportunities and there are bus stations that could already be on the free market”, he points out.
