It will be the largest plant ever built in the region, with approximately 2,364 modules of 550w each, which can generate a total of 1,300 kwp.Copagril is a large company, which, among all its units, consumes more than 6.7 megawatts of electricity per month.Reducing the costs of electricity consumption in the way possible, without harming the smooth progress of the work, is a determination of the board.For this reason, the cooperative's engineering sector has been looking for alternatives that provide a reduction in the monthly invoice amount.“The electricity that Copagril consumes is supplied by two large companies: Copel, in the state of Paraná, and Energisa, in Mato Grosso do Sul.However, we do not purchase directly from transmission companies, but rather take advantage of existing opportunities in the Free Electricity Market – MLE (which is a business modality that has existed in Brazil for over 20 years and is regulated by Aneel – National Agency Energy)”, informs engineer Dimas José Detoni, Environmental and Engineering advisor at Copagril.Any consumer unit can contract 500 kw per month, taking advantage of a differentiated price that this system provides.“Today we buy energy from those who have it to sell, at a cheaper price than that charged by state companies.And there are hundreds on the market, even though our purchases are being made with companies Engie, Matrix, Eletra and Cemig.They offer us a better price and we do long-term contracts to extend the benefits, which are usually six years,” he explains.As electricity is purchased from companies in another state, Copagril ends up paying a toll to the two state companies that transmit electricity.“Although there is this toll, it becomes cheaper to buy via the Free Energy Market”, says Dimas.It has been a few years since Copagril began to analyze the advantages of generating its own energy.The first project developed was at the Quatro Pontes unit, where a solar energy pilot project was implemented.“The Quatro Pontes project is completing four years and shows us total viability.In this time, what was invested is already paid for by the energy savings itself, and from now on, most of the electricity consumption of this unit will be at a low cost, basically with the rates demanded by the market”, informs the engineer.To get an idea of ​​the savings generated at the Quatro Pontes unit, the installed size is for a monthly consumption of R$ 1,300, but the electricity bill has an average cost of R$ 200. “The rest is paid for by the generation of solar energy”, emphasizes Dimas, explaining that even if there is surplus energy, the surplus is transferred as credit to the unit in Porto Mendes, in Marechal Cândido Rondon.In order for Copagril's electricity bill to be smaller and smaller, employees' daily habits are encouraged.“We have an action plan that seeks to reduce electricity consumption by 10% this year.It is a proposal from the energy management sector and was ratified by the board.We encourage employees to turn off the lights in their rooms when there is no one inside, and the same should happen with electrical equipment, except for air conditioning units, which need to be used rationally.With everyone's help, we will be able to save more electricity”, praises the Environmental and Engineering advisor.Another important point of savings is the power factor of the various Copagril installations.“We need to count on the conscience of the employees so that the equipment with high consumption of electric energy is used properly, because if there is an unbalanced consumption, the cooperative pays a fine for the power factor”, he emphasizes.Dimas says that the efforts for economy are having an effect.“In 2021, we had a savings of R$ 3.9 million on the electricity bill alone.This year, 2022, we have already accumulated savings of around R$1.7 million and in the month of last July alone, this savings exceeded R$200,000”, he highlights.And not only electrical energy requires care and savings.The biomass sector also receives instructions to reduce the use of firewood in boilers.“We are making changes to the grain drying systems and thus achieving good savings in firewood.For this, Copagril is gradually replacing the old boilers, the wood-fired furnaces by the meter with chip burners.The new systems have already been installed at the headquarters units in Guaíra and the district of Oliveira Castro, in addition to Itaquiraí (MS), and other units will also receive this system, as they need to be replaced.Chip burners provide firewood savings, require less manpower, produce more energy for the drying system and do not have any loss of potential”, explains Dimas.The origin of the wood and chips used in the boilers is also rigorously analyzed by the sector.“We only use firewood from exotic forests, that is, from reforestation areas”, says the engineer.Dimas, who is completing 35 years at Copagril, emphasizes that the greatest efforts are being made at the moment to seek savings in electricity consumption.In addition to all the efforts that the sectors are developing internally, Copagril's management is looking for alternatives that can contribute to reducing the electricity bill paid to energy companies.As the next major investment, the cooperative will deploy a large solar power plant.“We have a project that is in progress, in the final phase of the procedures.We are going to build a large-scale solar energy capture plant, which will produce megawatts of electricity and which will be enough to supply part of our units”, mentions the CEO of Copagril, Ricardo Sílvio Chapla.For this plant, the investment will be approximately R$ 6 million.“We have a BRDE financing line, with an affordable interest rate, to make the investment.In the same way that the small plant of the Quatro Pontes unit became viable quickly, we believe that this new one will be viable quickly”, he projects.Copagril's new solar power plant will be built next to the cooperative's Experimental Station, located near the municipal airport of Marechal Cândido Rondon.“It will be the largest plant ever built in our region, with approximately 2,364 modules of 550w each, which can generate a total of 1,300 kwp”, praises the CEO.The idea is to build the plant in the carport system, that is, as a cover for the parking area of ​​the Experimental Station.And everything generated will be distributed among the various Copagril units.The objective of the board is to reduce the costs with electric energy.“Copagril is moving towards sustainability.In other words, we want to contribute more and more to our environment.We understand that building small solar generation units would not have the same potential that we will achieve with a large plant”, emphasizes Chapla.For the CEO of Copagril, the actions taken in the most diverse sectors and aimed at achieving economy within the cooperative are significant and salutary.“We increasingly need to make efforts to reduce the size of our costs, seeking to adjust what is possible, without losing the quality of services.Reducing costs is a job that has been done for many years within Copagril.We have to advance more and more, promoting the necessary internal actions so that the possible can be saved”, points out Chapla.In his opinion, the actions of economy should be taken, including, for the day to day of the cooperative.“This also applies to our associates, in their businesses.Within Copagril we have been working tirelessly to reduce costs, although this is not easy or simple.But we have many procedures in progress that will provide good economics for the cooperative, including major conquests”, he highlights.Chapla understands that all directors and employees need to do their part in the quest to save.“Everyone has their share, it is not a specific attitude of this or that sector.It is a practice that must be constant.In addition to taking action, employees and associates are also called upon to give their suggestions and opinions, which may contribute to the benefits of the cooperative, through actions that may result in fewer costs for Copagril”, he emphasizes.The Special Gift/Copagril MagazineClick here to join our WhatsApp groupNew mall in the region will receive R$ 700 million in investment and is scheduled to open in 2024Friday dawns with a thermal sensation of 7ºC in Marechal Rondon;see what to expect from the weekendMartin Luther College promotes Dance Festival on Tuesday