The strategic partnership between EDP and CTT - Correios de Portugal to develop decentralised energy generation projects of up to 6 MWp, announced in October 2022, is already making it possible to produce electricity from the sun in 20 cities, including the CTT North Production and Logistics Centre in Maia. The companies have put into operation a plant in this building with more than 1,800 solar panels and an installed capacity of 1 MWp which, for the time being, is on an individual self-consumption basis.

The North Production and Logistics Centre is where CTT's entire operation in the north of the country is concentrated and where around 400,000 pieces of mail leave every day. Thanks to this plant, 40 per cent of the building's daily energy needs are being supplied by renewable energy.

When the licensing process is finished, this same plant will become an EDP/CTT Solar Neighbourhood, i.e. a Collective Self-Consumption Community, in which the solar unit installed at CTT will share its benefits with up to 850 families and companies in the region. By joining this project, these neighbours will save up to 35% on the solar energy they consume each month.

Thanks to the capillarity of the CTT network, there are already 20 solar photovoltaic plants installed in buildings managed by the company on a self-consumption basis, most of which will also share the benefits with the community by becoming EDP/CTT Solar Neighbourhoods. When the project is at full capacity and all the solar neighbourhoods are set up, it is expected that around 8,000 families and companies will benefit from this project and that 1,600 tonnes of CO2 will be avoided from being emitted into the atmosphere, contributing to the decarbonisation of the country.

"We are living one of the most important moments for our society, which is to take measures to fight climate change and guarantee quality of life on the planet for generations to come. The production of renewable energy on a small scale, spread across roofs and rooftops throughout the country, will be fundamental for a country with a smaller environmental footprint. This partnership with CTT allows us to accelerate this path and share it with neighbouring communities, making the energy transition fairer and more inclusive," says Vera Pinto Pereira, CEO of EDP Comercial.

For CTT, in addition to using more sustainable energy in its buildings and being able to share it with the surrounding community, this partnership will generate significant savings in electricity costs and reduce dependence on the energy grid.

According to CTT's CEO, João Bento, "this is an extremely important project for CTT, not only because it reinforces our path towards sustainability, but also because it allows us to strengthen our proximity ties with communities, which now have access to clean and cheaper energy. Thanks to this partnership, which brings together two major national companies, CTT is reinforcing its commitment to proximity, this time by contributing to cleaner and cheaper energy for the surrounding communities.".

Families and companies in the proximity of these locations, which can be consulted at edp.pt/bairro-solar, can join these Solar Neighbourhoods. The investment, maintenance and operation of the panels will be carried out by EDP, as will the entire process of attracting neighbours and managing these communities.

Solar energy projects installed in homes and businesses are expected to account for half of all solar projects developed worldwide in the coming years. EDP is committed to ensuring that more and more customers start producing their own energy and intends to invest 2.5 billion euros in this area by 2026 in the various markets in which it operates (Europe, North America, Brazil and Asia).

For CTT, sustainability is a fundamental pillar of its strategy, with three defined environmental goals: to operate with 50% electric vehicles on the last mile by 2025 and 100% by 2030, to promote responsible consumption using 100% recycled and/or reusable packaging by 2030, and to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality (net zero) by 2030.

CTT has made a strong investment in the electrification of its fleet and currently has more than 600 emission-free vehicles. In addition, it was possible to inaugurate its first '100% green' Delivery Centres in 2022: Arroios, Junqueira, Cascais, Porto Santo and Graciosa.

Main figures for the EDP/CTT Solar Neighbourhoods project:

•  20 solar power plants in self-production, most of them awaiting licences to become a Collective Self-Consumption Community/Solar Neighbourhood;
• Neighbours will save up to 35% on the solar energy they consume each month;
• Partnership aims to benefit 8,000 families or companies across the country;
• Partnership will prevent the emission of 1,600 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere;
• Maia power station has an installed capacity of 1 MWp;
• Maia plant has the potential to share benefits with 800 neighbours;
• 40% of the CTT plant's consumption is being supplied with renewable energy.