Iberdrola Launches Noronha Verde to Make Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha Latin America’s First 100% Renewable Island

Iberdrola Chairman Ignacio Galán, together with Brazil’s Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira, presented the Noronha Verde project in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago — a landmark initiative highlighted by the Brazilian government during COP30 in Belém, Pará. The event was also attended by Pernambuco’s Governor Raquel Lyra, Defense Minister José Múrcio, and Neoenergia CEO Eduardo Capelastegui.

Noronha Verde aims to make Fernando de Noronha — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — the first inhabited oceanic island in Latin America powered entirely by renewable energy. Backed by an investment of R$350 million (€50 million), the project will feature a 22 MWp solar plant with over 30,000 panels and a 49 MWh battery storage system, replacing the island’s biodiesel-based Tubarão plant. The project, led by Neoenergia in partnership with Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Pernambuco state government, is part of the “Mais por Noronha” program promoting smart grids, electric mobility, and distributed generation. The first phase is expected to be operational by May 2026 and the second in 2027.

At the launch event, Iberdrola also inaugurated Noronha’s first floating solar plant at the Xaréu reservoir, featuring 622 kWp of capacity and generating 1,083 MWh annually — preventing 717 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year. Galán emphasized that Noronha Verde reflects Neoenergia and Iberdrola’s long-term commitment to Brazil, where the company plans to invest over €7 billion in the next five years, adding to more than €15 billion already invested in energy infrastructure across the country over the past three decades.