renew Energy without limits • september | october 2013
INDIANA ANA HIGAN MICHIGAN GEORGIA
EDPR NORTH AMERICA Signs Power Purchase Agreements with Georgia Power, Indiana Michigan Power
On Change Miguel Gaião, Energy Assessment Senior Manager
Online 24 hours in the life of Juan Fernando Iniesta Development Manager
onindex september | october
renew Energy without limits • september | october 2013
EDP Renewables is actively making strides in expanding its portfolio in the United States. Over the last few months, INDIANA IANA MICHIGAN HIGAN
the North American platform signed two power purchase
GEORGIA
agreements (PPAs) with Georgia Power and Indiana Michigan
EDPR NORTH AMERICA Signs Power Purchase Agreements with Georgia Power, Indiana Michigan Power
Power On Change Miguel Gaião, Energy Assessment Senior Manager
Online 24 hours in the life of Juan Fernando Iniesta Development Manager
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Milan, Italy: learn more about where EDP has a presence.
EDPR NA Signs Power Purchase Agreements with Georgia Power, Indiana Michigan Power
14|15 onpeople Gary Webb,Senior Operations Manager EDPR NA; José Pinheiro, Head of Technical Support EDPR.
With a diverse and robust development portfolio around North America, EDP Renewables North America is in a unique position to be able to aggressively respond to opportunities as they arise.
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online 24 hours with Juan Sánchez Iniesta
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Juan Fernando spend his days dealing with authorities. In his spare time, he likes to be with his family and friends, read, play sports, and his greatest passion: playing the piano.
Helpful tips for everyday life.
22|25 ontrack EDPR’s most important news.
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ontarget Spyridon Martinis The EU Business Development Director, tasked with leading strategic initiatives to maintain EDPR’s leading status in Europe. In 2013 the company is aiming at another year of quality growth in the non-Iberian EU.
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onchange Miguel Ângelo Nunes Gaião After eight years with EDP Group, Miguel Ângelo has made the move from Portugal to Brazil, where he now serves as Energy Assessment Senior Manager at EDPR Brazil.
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MILAN
Learn more about the places where EDP is present
Welcome to Milan! The city of fashion, food, nightclubs, and the famous aperitivo! Incidentally, it’s also home of EDPR’s Italian headquarters.
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO START?
G EO G R A PH I C DATA : Country: Italy. City: Milan. Number of inhabitants: 4.300.000.
FASHION If you’re a big spender, there’s just one answer: Il quadrilatero. The roughly one square kilometer area around via Montenapoleone is where all the superposh shops can be found, and is ready to welcome you. And if you’re left penniless immediately after a hard shopping session,
Il Quadrilatero
head toward Porta Vercellina. There you’ll find plenty of nice tiny shops, no big brands, will allow you to find something special, and cheap. And if you’re running short of time, pop over to La Rinascente, one of the oldest fashion stores of Europe, right near the Duomo.
Porta Vercellina
FOOD That would depend most on the time of day, and your orientation. A local Breakfast? Drop by Sant’Ambroeus, one of the oldest pasticceria in town, for a “cappuccio e cornetto”. A global breakfast? Try California Bakery, in via Larga. For a brunch, or a snack, I reccommend the terrasse at the Rinascente. Try a nice refreshing caprese salad on the roof, enjoying the breathtaking view of the city around you.
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E D PR I N M I L A N: Employees: 21 Wind farms: 2 MW: 40MW
La Rinascente
Gianandrea Redaelli, Head of Consolidation, Administration & Tax EDPR Italy.
IN THE AFTERNOON Try a gentle walk in one of the city gardens - Parco Sempione is the central one, with the solid medieval castle on one side, the Arco della pace on the other. When the sun sets, the area around the Arco starts to buzz, filled with places dedicated to the most famous (and most recent) of the traditions of Milano: the aperitivo. It’s not a dinner, but you eat a lot. It’s not drinking, but if you don’t pay attention you might end up leaving quite drunk. It consists of grabbing as much fingerfood as possible while enjoing a Negroni (gin, campari, or vermouth), or it’s “incorrect” version called Sbagliato (it’s the same, but with sparkling wine instead of
gin). This incorrect version was invented in Bar Basso in the 60s, so you may want to go there to taste it in the right atmosphere - the furniture hasn’t changed! (Bar Basso is also well known for its Bloody Mary). Another favorite bar of mine is Bar Milano - one of the best food selections in town, ranging from oysters to curry shrimps. And, if you’re still not full, you could always opt for dinner... Try “El Garghett” (the toad), in southern Milano, for the orecchia d’elefante (elephant ear, a super-tiny, super-large veal leaf, battered in dry-bread powder and panfried in butter), or Riccione if you have a taste for seafood.
GIANANDREA REDAELLI
WANT SOME CULTURE? If you can wake up the following morning, just take a stroll through the city center: you’ll find the Duomo, the Galleria, the Teatro La Scala with its opera museum, the Palazzo Reale, the tiny and super cozy Acquario, the Arengario with its XXth Century Museum, and the newly refurbished Museo della Scienza e della Tecnica (with Italy’s first submarine).
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EDP Renewables is actively making strides in expanding its portfolio in the United States. Over the last few months, the North American platform signed two power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Georgia Power and Indiana Michigan Power. 6 onrenew
Maple Ridge Sunset - Wind farm USA
EDPR NA SIGNS POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS WITH GEORGIA POWER, INDIANA MICHIGAN POWER
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TWO 20-YEAR POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS FOR 250 MWS SIGNED WITH GEORGIA POWER
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ith a diverse and robust development portfolio around North America, EDP Renewables North America is in a unique position to be able to aggressively respond to opportunities as they arise. As such, the North America platform signed two power purchase agreements (PPAs) in April and June with Georgia Power and Indiana Michigan Power, respectively. A power purchase agreement is a contract between two parties, one who generates electricity for the purpose (the seller) and one who is looking to purchase electricity (the buyer). The PPA defines all of the commercial terms for the sale of electricity between the two parties, including when the project will begin commercial operation, schedule for delivery of electricity, penalties for under delivery, payment terms, and termination. After years of negotiations, April 24, 2013, marked the day that COO EDPR NA CEO Gabriel Alonso announced that the Company had signed two 20-year PPAs with Georgia Power for 250 MWs of cost-effective wind energy in southwest Oklahoma to start in January 2016. The wind energy purchased through this agreement will provide enough electricity at peak to power more than 50,000 Georgia homes. Georgia Power, the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, is one of the nation’s largest generators of electricity. Southern Company is currently the sixteenth largest utility company in the world and the fourth largest in the United States. Southern Company is the parent company of four retail electric companies: Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, and Mississippi Power.
In a press release, Georgia Power president and CEO Paul Bowers shared his feelings on the agreement. “We are continuously evaluating energy options that provide the best overall economic value to our customers,” Bowers said. “Adding wind energy to our generation mix underscores our commitment to a diverse portfolio that offers clean, safe, reliable, sustainable, and low-cost electricity for years to come.” In an internal email to EDPR NA employees, Alonso also shared his thoughts on the executed deal. “Besides the economic value of the transaction, this deal has significant strategic value to us as it positions our company in the forefront to leverage the relationship the Central Origination team built up to secure more offtake contracts in the future,” Alonso said. Steve Irvin, Executive Vice President, Central Region, and Tommy Greer, Origination Senior Manager, led negotiations on the deal. “Initially, EDPR NA began its early discussions with Alabama Power, another subsidiary of Southern Company. However, after a long period of negotiation, Southern Company decided that the contract made more sense for Georgia Power,” Greer said. After more than eight months of working with Georgia Power, a deal was finally struck. The agreements serve as Georgia Power’s first purchase of utility scale wind power in its history. “We were excited to play a role in bringing wind power to Georgia Power’s customers for the first time in the history of the utility,” Greer added. In addition to Irvin and Greer’s leadership, many other EDPR NA employees assisted in the execution of this PPA. Special recognition goes out to the following employees and teams who played an integral part in making this deal happen: 8 onrenew
“Besides the economic value of the transaction, this deal has significant strategic value to us as it positions our company in the forefront to leverage the relationship the Central Origination team built up to secure more offtake contracts in the future”. Gabriel Alonso, COO EDPR NA
• Val Angelkov, Director, Energy Sales & Structuring • Cedric Kouam, Market Operations Manager • Ziya Kirman, Director, Transmission & Interconnection, and the Transmission team • Ajoy Menezes, Treasury Associate • Christen Parker, Financial Associate • Mike Finger, Director, Risks & Markets • John Mi, Risks & Markets Manager • Alena Crivello, Risks & Markets Associate
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• Mita Butschek, Investments and M&A Manager • Asha Gandhi, Portfolio Management Associate • Radu Tutos, Director, Finance • Kevin Rosenberg, Director, Accounting • Leslie Freiman, General Counsel, Regulatory Compliance Officer & Secretary • Meredith Chambers, Associate General Counsel • Ann Walter, Asset Management Associate • Payton Wright, Origination Associate The contracts for this PPA have now been assigned to Rotem Zucker, Asset Manager, Central Region, and Walter. “Closing this PPA really was the result of a lot of work from many different people throughout the company. We’re looking forward to building on this accomplishment and finding additional opportunities to deliver power to the southeast United States from EDPR’s assets in Oklahoma and Kansas,” Greer said.
PPA SIGNED WITH INDIANA MICHIGAN POWER FOR 200 MWS IN INDIANA June 2013 was a celebratory time for the EDPR NA Eastern region team who signed a PPA with Indiana Michigan Power for 200 MWs of wind energy in Indiana’s Randolph County. Indiana Michigan Power is a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP), a company who EDPR NA has partnered with on several of its projects in the past. AEP is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, serving more than five million customers in 11 states. Mel Palmer, Sr. Origination Manager, and Jacob Steubing, Origination Associate, led the negotiations on the deal. While the initial hurdle of signing
“Closing this PPA really was the result of a lot of work from many different people throughout the company. We’re looking forward to building on this accomplishment and finding additional opportunities to deliver power to the southeast United States from EDPR’s assets in Oklahoma and Kansas,” Tommy Greer, Origination Senior Manager EDPR NA.
“The entire Eastern team is thrilled by the opportunity to work with Indiana Michigan Power and the residents of Randolph County to make this project a reality in 2014. All of our efforts are now focused on execution of the project schedule,” Bill Whitlock, Executive Vice President, Eastern Region EDPR NA.
the PPA is complete, the Eastern region team, led by Executive Vice President Bill Whitlock, will remain busy with this project in the coming years. According to a press release, AEP said it wants the wind power deliveries to start December 1, 2014. “Moving forward, the Eastern region team will work in close coordination with the Asset Management department on fulfilling all of the milestone requirements under the PPA,” Palmer said. In a previously issued press release,
Indiana Michigan Power president and COO Paul Chodak III expressed his thoughts on the executed deal. “Our agreement with EDP Renewables is an important step in our continuing efforts to diversify our generation portfolio, which includes wind, hydro, nuclear, and coal,” Chodak III said. While the PPA agreement is now inked, it did not come without many man hours devoted to making it happen. In 2007, EDPR NA decided to expand its footprint into the state of Indiana, leading its Midwest developers
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to identify Randolph County as a potentially robust development site. Our Indiana team presented EDPR NA to the Randolph County landowners, who interviewed a number of other developers before selecting EDPR NA as the developers they most wanted to work with. EDPR NA started development in 2008 by signing leases and then aggressively developed the project until 2010 before making the decision to put it on hold until market conditions changed. A great amount of work was done during this period by Ryan Brown, Director of Development, Canada; Evelyn Zapata, Civil Engineering Manager, Western Region; Alison Dodson, Senior Counsel; Laura Skuchko, Paralegal; and Emily Hardy, Energy Assessment Associate. When the opportunity arose more recently to enter into a PPA with Indiana Michigan Power, the EDPR NA team responded quickly. Palmer and Steubing prepared the bid and were supported by Kevin Choi, Transmission & Interconnection Associate, and
Payton Wright, Origination Associate. Many other employees assisted in securing this PPA: • Jeffrey Nemeth, Development Project Manager II • Whitney Crowe, Project Developer • Sarah Distelrath, Estimator, Eastern Region • Tom Cague, Turbine and Operations Procurement Manager • Vipul Devluk, Turbine Procurement Associate • Ziya Kirman, Director, Transmission & Interconnection • John Yang, Transmission Specialist • Meredith Chambers, Associate General Counsel • Amy Hillenburg, Energy Assessment Analyst • Beibei Zhang, Investments and M&A Associate • Sandhya Ganapathy, Director, Investments and M&A • Maria Rodriguez, Executive Assistant • Lisa Oliver, Civil Engineering Manager, Eastern Region • Alberto Benitez, Electrical 10 onrenew
Engineering Manager, Eastern Region • Brad Harmon, Asset Manager, Eastern Region • Mike Peck, Director, Asset Management As Director of Project Management, Erin Bowser is now responsible for overseeing the project through construction and ensuring its profitability, and contracts for this PPA will soon be turned over to Harmon and Karen Mayes, Settlement Analyst. Construction will start this year and will continue through 2014. Construction will be led by Neil Anderson, Director, Construction; Bryan Lyssy, Construction Project Manager, Central; and Rod Cossman, Senior Site Construction Manager. “The entire Eastern team is thrilled by the opportunity to work with Indiana Michigan Power and the residents of Randolph County to make this project a reality in 2014. All of our efforts are now focused on execution of the project schedule,” Whitlock said.
online 2 4 hour s in the li f e of ...
24 hours
JUAN FERNANDO SÁNCHEZ INIESTA Development Manager Castilla La Mancha, EDPR Spain
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Juan Fernando Sánchez Iniesta spends his days dealing with authorities at the local, provincial, and regional level. As a native of Albacete, the largest city in Castilla La Mancha, he knows the region well. That’s an advantage for the Development Manager who is in charge of EDPR’s activities in the central Spanish region, which is most famously known as the place where the classic novel Don Quixote took place. The windswept plateau largely covered in farmland has become one of the prime areas in Spain for wind power production. Since joining EDPR in 2009, Juan Fernando has been tasked with forming the relationships necessary to developing new wind farms in the region. “Working in a pioneer renewable energy company at a worldwide level is very important to me, and the possibility to generate new business opportunities is something that fills me with satisfaction,” Juan Fernando said, noting that he enjoys being in contact with many different stakeholders. After completing his engineering degree from the University of Castilla La Mancha, Juan Fernando went on to gain 13 years of professional experience, working in project management and consulting roles in the construction sector. He worked for Tecnología Eólica AIE as the head of construction for four wind farms in the Albacete y Cuenca province in Spain. And just before joining EDPR he worked for Capital Energy in business development and the promotion of renewable power plant projects as regional Manager for Castilla La Mancha.
Juan Fernando spend this days dealing with authorities. In his spare time, he likes to be with his family and friends, read, play sports, and his greatest passion: playing the piano.
Starting the day
Checking emails
Coffee Break
Juan Fernando arrives at work by bike, whenever time permits.
The work days starts by reviewing the different official bulletins published by the state, autonomous community, and provinces, as well as news publications.
A coffee break with coworkers.
Meeting
Dealing with authorities
Lunch time
A meeting with the department of Development and O&M.
Visits to administrative offices of the Regional Government of Castilla de La Mancha (Office of Industry, Environment, etc.).
A break to eat is essential to have energy for the rest of the day.
Videoconference
Town Council
End of day
A videoconference with the Internal Work Team (Project Management, Engineering, Environment, Legal, etc.).
Meeting with the mayors of municipalities where EDPR wind farms operate or are being developed.
Leaves the office in order to practice some of his favorite hobbies in his free time.
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onpeople Get to know your colleagues better
GARY WEBB SENIOR OPERATIONS MANAGER
ary Webb began his career at EDP Renewables North America in June 2008 and currently holds the position of Senior Operations Manager at the Blue Canyon Wind Farm in Oklahoma. Webb’s day-to-day responsibilities primarily focus around the safe and efficient management of the wind farm with the mission of achieving better than 97% turbine availability. This is achieved through adherence to standard operating procedures and contract oversight of the OEM service providers. Prior to joining EDPR, Webb served more than 20 years in the United States Air Force. Over those two decades, he held several different positions all over the world – beginning as a helicopter crew chief, followed by an instructor for professional military education, and finished as section chief in a combat
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rescue unit. While serving in the Air Force, Webb also attended Troy University (which he jokingly refers to as the “Harvard of the South”) and earned a Master’s Degree in public administration. The EDPR “team” culture is one of the many reasons Webb enjoys working at EDPR. “Through the course of a business day, I have the opportunity to interact with many people. All of these people are always willing to assist and ensure the Blue Canyon site achieves maximum results,” Webb said. Webb also said another one of his favorite things about EDPR is the Blue Canyon site team he gets to work with every day. “I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to thank Andy Woods, Larry Martin, Robert Eakins, and Jennifer Beck. Each team member brings a 14 onrenew
unique perspective to the work day, has a work ethic that is second to none, and makes it fun to come to work. They are the benchmark in Operations! It is truly a privilege to work with professionals of such a high caliber,” Webb said. When he’s not managing the Blue Canyon wind farm, Webb splits his spare time between fulfilling his obligations as the president of the Elgin High School Football Booster Club and playing as much golf as he can. Both of which, he cites, seem like full-time jobs at times. Another thing Webb enjoys, which many people do not know about him, is that he is a custom motorcycle builder. He has restored and/or built more than a dozen motorcycles and has also ridden more than 100,000 miles to places such as Canada, Florida, South Dakota, and California among other locations.
The effort and dedication of our employees allow us to exceed as a group. In each issue, we highlight employees who have demonstrated diligence in their work at EDPR.
osé Miguel Moreira Pinheiro, who joined EDPR two and a half years ago, is head of a relatively new department at EDPR tasked with creating standards to ensure the long-term performance of the company’s energy assets. José Miguel says he enjoys his role because “I have contact with a great part of the Company and regions where we are present which allows me to know a lot people and have a broad view of what is happening with EDPR worldwide.” The department is in charge of identifying best practices and creating resources used companywide including the O&M Manual, QA/ QC program, End of Warranty process, and wind farm assessments. The department also helps decide which type of O&M contracts to award through risk analysis and ensures the proper implementation of CMMS, which allows EDPR to have a homogeneous system to manage O&M activities. “We have the unique role of working to truly escalate EDPR to be one global company in the way we operate and maintain our energy assets,” José Miguel said. A native of Oporto, Portugal, José Miguel studied Environmental Engineering and later completed a post-graduation in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on renewable energy. Before joining EDPR he worked as a technical support engineer, and later as a project manager for wind farm projects for a wind turbine manufacturer. Throughout his career he has lived in Zaragoza, Spain; Aarhus, Denmark; Sao Paulo, Brazil, and now Madrid. During his hectic travels he married his “beautiful and very supportive” wife, and has a young daughter, and a baby boy is on the way. In his free time he enjoys bodyboarding as well as music and playing soccer. José Miguel credits his father for his drive to accomplish things and take on challenges, as well as his optimistic outlook. That includes a positive vision for EDPR. “EDPR is a young company, full of energy and good spirit with tons of opportunities of improvement and challenges to be overcome,” he said. He says he sees the company “expanding to more regions with an even more accurate investment profile while putting an effort on deeply understanding how our current assets perform, developing the tools and training the people for a fine tuned management of such assets towards an operational excellence.”
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JOSÉ PINHEIRO HEAD OF TECHNICAL SUPPORT - O&M
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ontop H el pfu l t ips f or ev e ry d a y lif e
As the old saying goes, time is money. Being productive is essential to complete our long list of daily tasks. The benefits of good organization are reflected in the quality of our work and even have a positive impact on our willingness and attitude toward carrying out all of our tasks. There is no magic formula… although these tips are a good start. 1. AVOID MEETINGS
Some companies have a habit of scheduling meetings every day, and in some cases more than once a day. The majority of successful entrepreneurs believe this is a very harmful practice.
2. THE TWO PIZZA RULE
Jeff Bezos, owner of the largest internet retailer in the world, Amazon.com, has a rule for his teams: they must be small enough for two pizzas to be enough to feed them. Small teams should always be valued because interaction is much more efficient when the numbers are smaller.
3. ANSWER YOUR CELL PHONE
Communication is the key to success. Talking on the phone can prevent some of the communication failures that are prone to happen when using email.
4. THE RIGHT PEOPLE
The right team with competent people will save time that could be wasted by secondguessing. You will be more productive because you will be able to delegate tasks with confidence.
5. WRITE A TO-DO LIST
Many people write a list of daily tasks and goals. If you have not picked up this habit, then now is the time to do so. Before leaving the office you should make a list of all the things you have to do the next day.
6. USE EMAIL AS A MEMORY AIDE
Don’t rely solely on your memory, because it can let you down. Make a note of all your commitments, journeys and meetings in an email.
7. CAPTURE IDEAS
The internet is one of the greatest sources of creativity and one you should take advantage of. There you will find new and original material that can help you formulate new ideas.
8. CUT YOUR DEADLINES
When you have to sort something out quickly and you have a deadline of, say, an hour, cut your time limit to 40 minutes. Then you will work faster and be more focused.
9. EXERCISE
It is very important to set aside some time in your routine for exercise. Physical exercise reduces stress, prevents illness, and gives you more energy, which makes you more productive.
10. AVOID DOING LOTS OF THINGS AT THE SAME TIME
Our brains are not programmed to do different tasks at the same time. Most of the time, doing this is just a way of leaving everything half done. Focus your energy on one job at a time and use all of your mental capacity to complete it. 16 onportugal
ontarget SPYRIDON MARTINIS, EU Business Development Director
• maximize value creation by means of strategic, low-risk and quality growth • develop projects with new technologies, including solar PV • grow the business in high potential geographies, such as Romania and Poland
Spyridon Martinis is the EU Business Development Director, tasked with leading strategic initiatives to maintain EDPR’s leading status in Europe. In 2013 the company is aiming at another year of quality growth in the non-Iberian EU, with construction already underway on projects in Poland, Italy, Romania, France and Belgium. The duty of the Business Development team is to manage a superior-quality portfolio of projects in markets where the team sees potential and stability, and develop them in line with EDPR’s business plan. The team needs to rationalize development efforts and resources according to the market outlook and EDPR’s growth needs. “A few years ago the wind market was like a sprint race for developers and investors, where the fastest and most aggressive – including EDPR – succeeded,” Martinis said. “But now the wind industry has instead become a long distance competition.” Now, what’s necessary for success is endurance, proper allocation of resources, and assertive, strategic decision-making, Martinis said. “In this new demanding environment only few are supposed to survive along the market consolidation, but I truly believe that EDPR is well positioned, with its skilled and experienced teams, diversified portfolio in markets with potential and the sound company structure,” he said.
Martinis said that, given the increasing regulatory risk in Europe, his goal is to develop sites with above average wind conditions, superior economics (CAPEX and OPEX) and located in geographies with stable regulatory framework. EDPR is exploiting the early entrant competitive advantage the most promising markets, namely Poland and Romania, and its economy of scale benefits in markets that demand high level of competiveness, such as Italy. Martinis said leading Business Development in Europe during a crucial growth years has been extremely rewarding. “I joined the company at a very incipient stage just before the IPO and I had the chance to see its transformation from a high potential initiative to a top class global firm. Definitely along this intense transformation, both myself and the company profoundly matured and gladly today we are enjoying the results of our efforts.” The development of new technologies to further diversify EDPR’s portfolio and provide additional growth avenues is a key objective of the company. Entering the solar PV market, a goal set for 2014-15, was achieved early through the completion of the 1st solar PV projects (39MW) in Romania during the 4th quarter of 2012. Another important objective of the development team is to educate 18 onrenew
stakeholders such as decision makers, administration, governmental bodies, landowners, about the benefits of our industry, and counter groups with opposite interests that influence public opinion. We have the advantage of being on the right side of the energy industry, becoming day by day more cost effective and in the best position to take advantage of future profitable growth opportunities. All efforts of the Business Development team aim to push the company forward, and maximize value creation by means of selective, low risk and quality growth. This strategy has brought the company to the leading position in Europe it holds today. “It definitely hasn’t been an easy task. It required countless trips, limitless effort and commitment. The experience has yielded me plenty personal and professional growth together with high level of satisfaction.” Martinis says his team is committed to taking strategic decisions to continue EDPR’s growth and success. “Our new initiative though the solar PV in Romania shows that we are ready to anticipate and take advantage of market opportunities, especially in the solar industry with evidenced huge potential. Ultimately, the company is proving to be quite flexible to the changes adapting its approach through a leaner organization and shifting the geographical presence and focus on growth.”
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onchange Employees with the courage to change
MIGUEL ÂNGELO NUNES GAIÃO 39 years old Energy Assessment Senior Manager, EDPR Brazil
reviously based in Porto, Portugal where he was Warranty Verification Manager for EDPR, Miguel Ângelo, a native of Lisbon who holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering, remembers: “When the invitation came to work in Brazil was not easy to answer, because it implied being away from very important people in my life, but the support of my girlfriend and my parents and my interest in acquiring experience abroad
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the opportunity to contribute to the success of the company, doing what he loves to do: seek out, study and build new wind farms. “I intend to make the most of this experience and learn a lot with new colleagues as part of a truly multicultural team. We have colleagues from different states of Brazil as well as other countries. It will be a very enriching experience and can increase the network of contacts
“I intend to make the most of this experience” AFTER EIGHT YEARS WITH EDP GROUP, MIGUEL ÂNGELO HAS MADE THE MOVE FROM PORTUGAL TO BRAZIL, WHERE HE NOW SERVES AS ENERGY ASSESSMENT SENIOR MANAGER AT EDPR BRAZIL. helped me make the decision.” And adds: “Fortunately today’s technology helps a lot to keep in touch.” Now Miguel works in the department of Energy Assessment in EDPR Brazil, which helps choose locations to build wind farms, control measurement campaigns, and perform the calculations for the expected annual energy yield studies, among other functions. Miguel says that the friendly EDPR Brazil team is young, dynamic, and focused on objectives. “We all have our routines and leaving them is very difficult, but accepting a challenge to break those routines allows you to focus on the really important things and lets you gain unique preparation for future challenges, be they professional or personal,” he said. He believes that working in Brazil, which has strong growth potential for wind energy, will enable him to enrich his professional experience as well as give him 20 onrenew
both in and outside the EDP Group.” He says the first thing that made an impression on him when he came to Brazil is the size of the city, the country, and it’s economy. “The distances between some of the areas we study are as big as several European countries,” he said. Miguel said he was overwhelmed a bit during the first few weeks, but quickly started to adapt with new friends, new colleagues and began to enjoy the rich Brazilian culture. Miguel hopes to also get to know neighboring countries such as Chile and Argentina, where he would like to visit Patagonia. He’s also looking forward to practicing his favorite sport, paragliding, and Brazil has the best locations in the world. “I haven’t had the chance of flying here, but it’s only a matter of time,” he said.
“Most Brazilians are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from Portugal, Italy, Japan, Spain, Germany, and many other countries. It’s great to be in a place where you can find such diverse cultural activities, products and cuisine,” he said. “I like to try to identify the Portuguese influence on Brazilian culture and the opposite too. In architecture, gastronomy, among other things.”
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ontrack EDP World Events
EDPR celebrates Global Wind Day EDPR celebrated Global Wind Day by opening windfarms in Minnesota, USA and Aragon, Spain to stakeholders, as well as the general public, and holding special activities for children.
DPR staff from Houston travelled to the O&M facility at Pioneer Prairie and Prairie Star wind farms in LeRoy, Minnesota, where they hosted 4th and 5th graders from the Leroy School District for an afternoon of learning about the science and engineering behind wind energy as well as the multitude of environmental impacts of renewables. The students also got a chance to learn about the wide variety of jobs that make up the field of wind energy. Among the highlights of the day were working with Vestas and EDPR Ops staff to try their hand at dressing in the gear and using the equipment the site teams wear and use on a daily basis, as well as building their own Kidwind turbines and testing them out in the blustery LeRoy field next to the O&M office. Following the close to the day’s educational activities and the departure of
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the students, EDPR staff led a tour of the O&M and site to legislators, journalists, and county tax assessors from both Iowa and Minnesota. The tour concluded with a reception at a local venue and served as an opportunity for networking and question/ answer time. In Aragon, Spain, EDPR staff offered tours, educational sessions, and activities for children at the Rabosera wind farm, located in the municipalities of Luna (Zaragoza) and Gurrea de Gállego (Huesca). The event was attended by the Head of the Department of Energy and Mining of the Regional Government of Aragon, Ms Marina Sevilla, accompanied by Mr Ramón Tejedor, advisor to the same Department, and the director of the Local Service for Industry and Innovation of Huesca, Ms Marta Patricia Rodríguez. In addition to tours of the premises guided 22 onrenew
by the technical staff, educational sessions and a kite and drawing competition for children, visitors could experience a wind tunnel, an air turbine which allows users to experience the sensation of flying. Various Mayors and officials from neighbouring towns were also in attendance: Mr Alfredo Marco Gil from Gurrea de Gállego, Mr Santiago Puértolas Berne from Luna, María Luisa Naudín from Sierra de Luna, Eduardo López Torralba from Marracos, José Antonio Mallada from Piedratajada, José Lafuente Dieste from Valpalmas and José Manuel Angoy from Erla, as well as other local figures. According to Rocío Sicre, Managing Director of EDP Renewables in Spain: “Initiatives like this are a part of our company’s sustainable philosophy and a sign of our commitment to the municipalities where we operate our wind farms.”
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EDPR NA HOSTS FIRST LEAN DAY
EDPR Brazil in final stages of SAP integration EDPR Brazil will complete the first phase of its integration into EDPR’s corporate SAP system in July. EDPR Brazil was previously using the SAP system of Energías de Brasil. The initiative to integrate it into EDPR’s corporate system began in February 2012 and is an important step to work more closely with the rest of EDPR worldwide. It will mean changes to some processes, which EDPR Brazil will need to analyze according to the Change Management Process. The first phase of the SAP implementation aims to streamline accounting, controlling, consolidation, treasury, purchasing and sales across EDPR Brazil. A team lead by Bernando Pinheiro, Head of Finance in Brazil, is working to implement the project with consultants from Accenture, which has already worked on other SAP projects in EDPR. For the part of the Corporate Applications and Processes department (CA), Nicolas Pablo Martín and Rosaura Bezanilla are working together, under Pedro Mano´s lead. Also collaborating is the entire team of Bernando Pinheiro in Brazil: Lucas Carias, Maria Donata Mendes,
Andre Pelaio, Wagner Meireles, Luis Barros, Adriana Rocha, Gustavo Gaspar, Temóclito Gomes and Felipe Neyre, as well as some “key users” in Europe who know the SAP system well. Ramón García working together with Javier Rivera, Carolina Rubio and Sergio Arraiolos, in administration and consolidation, Joao Pedro Summavielle and Francisco Hurtado in treasury, Miguel Vega and Joao Filipe Amaral in planning and control, and Maria Teresa Valiente and Pilar Esteban in purchasing. Testing began in June with end users in Brazil and some key users in Europe. After the test phase, training will be given to the final users before putting the modules into operation in July. After that, EDPR Brazil will begin a second phase to create an integrated management module for project development and construction, known as ATC, as well as a Plant Maintenance module for the operation and maintenance of wind farms and solar plants. This part of the project is scheduled to go into operation in January of 2014 and will be carried out entirely by the CA department.
On Friday, May 31, EDPR NA hosted its first Lean Day in the Houston office. Coordinated by Lean Sr. Manager, Scott Mathieu, the event highlighted employees who have dedicated much of their time separate of their day-to-day responsibilities to continuously improve the way EDPR operates and functions as a company. “Lean Day was not only about Lean or showing individual recognition. Lean Day was about accepting change, adapting, and uniting to solve problems together. Following the Lean methodology and concepts complements the team’s motivation and desire to continuously improve their processes,” Mathieu said. EDPR CEO Joao Manso Neto and many employees from the Houston office attended the event. “Lean Day was not only an opportunity for our team to share its successes with a diverse group of people, it was an opportunity to learn how others have applied the Lean tools to their projects and how we might apply them to the next phase of our project,” said Bob Atkins, Central Maintenance Senior Manager.
EDPR PARTICIPATES in the 2013 Wind Energy Convention The 2013 Wind Energy Convention was held on the 12th and 13th of June. It was organized by the Wind Energy Business Association (AEE), in the Hesperia Hotel, Madrid. The objective of the convention was to debate the current situation in the wind energy sector in Spain, in order to analyse the future of the industry. The event was presided by Andrew Garrad, Ewea Chairman. In addition, a series of renowned public figures from the energy sector also participated such as: João Paulo Costeira; Maurizio Bezzeccheri, Chairman for Spain and Latin America Enel Green Power; Rafael Mateo CEO Acciona Energía; Heikki Willstedt, Chairman AEE and many more. SECTOR DINNER EDPR sponsored the sector dinner which was held in the Wellington hotel in Madrid. Various public figures attended the dinner. João Paulo Costeira and Rocío Sicre attended as representatives of EDP Renováveis. onrenew 23
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Institutional visit to environmental activities carried out by EDP Renewables at Villasandino lakes in Burgos
These activities form part of the collaboration agreement signed by EDP Renewables and Maxam with the Natural Heritage Foundation of the region of Castilla y León.
EDP Renewables is participating today in an institutional visit organised by the Natural Heritage Foundation of Castilla y León to the Villasandino lakes in the province of Burgos. The site has undergone major environmental restoration sponsored by EDP Renewables and Maxam within the framework of the agreement signed with the region’s Natural Heritage Foundation. Environmental restoration in aggregate extraction areas in Villasandino has focused on boosting the renaturation of the surrounding vegetation to increase its flood capacity. These actions have created a wetland system which promotes a controlled layer of flooding on exceptional occasions when the river Odra swells. The project allows improvements to the habitats of numerous aquatic species, adapting the area through the creation of islets. Furthermore, a
substantial improvement was made to the surrounding landscape, adapting the banks to prevent erosion and to insulate the area from noise from the motorway. The Natural Heritage Foundation shall be represented at the institutional event by Mr José Manuel Jiménez Blázquez, a member of the Foundation’s board and head of the Regional Government of Castilla y León’s Department for Sustainability and Environmental Quality. On behalf of EDP Renewables, the event is to be attended by the company’s delegate for Castilla y León, David Abascal Sagredo, and Manuel Fernández García de Campo, Head of Sustainability and Environment. Maxam will be represented by its Director Ángel Ibarra Ibarretxe. The sponsorship agreement signed by EDPR with the Natural Heritage Foundation of Castilla y León also includes other activities, such as:
• Improvements at the intensive hunting area BU-10.601, including the restoration of various natural ponds in Carcedo de Burgos; • Construction of a visitor’s centre in Aliseda de Tormes; • Adaptation of the pathways at the “Lagunas glaciares de Neila” natural park and signposts showing regulations for public use; • Monitoring of the Dupont’s Lark in the area of Medinaceli; • Monitoring, preservation and improvement of the habitats of the Black Stork, the Cinereous Vulture, the Spanish Imperial Eagle and other birds of prey in the province of Ávila. 24 onrenew
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Houston Employees Volunteer at Local Food Bank
On May 23, 14 EDPR NA volunteers from the Houston office helped sort 4,404 pounds of food at the Houston Food Bank for the city’s less fortunate. The volunteers saved the Food Bank $1,824 by volunteering their time. Food usually comes from various sources in the food industry (such as grocery stores and wholesalers) that have thousands of pounds of food to give away – food that would otherwise be thrown away. At the Houston Food Bank Keegan Kitchen, staff and volunteers sort, pack, and re-distribute the food to the community. Each year, 900,000 people are fed. After nearly three hours of working together, EDPR employees prepared 3,670 meals for deserving Houstonians. ABOUT THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK Now operating from a new, 308,000 square-foot facility, the Houston Food Bank is the nation’s largest size Feeding America food bank and source of food for hunger relief charities in 18
southeast Texas counties. They have been named one of 10 Top-Notch Charities across the nation by Charity Navigator. A network of 500 food pantries, soup kitchen, senior centers and other agencies, feeding a total of 137,000 people each week, provides 50 million nutritious meals annually. Fresh produce, meat and nonperishables are distributed from the new warehouse at 535 Portwall, and hot meals are prepared and distributed from Keegan Center, a 15,000 square-foot industrial kitchen. Additional community services range from nutrition education to assistance with food stamp applications and hands-on job training. Red Barrels offer a convenient way for grocery shoppers to donate nonperishables for their neighbors in need. The Houston Food Bank, founded in 1982, is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network. The organization plans to grow to an annual distribution of 100 million nutritious meals by 2018. Visit HoustonFoodBank.org for more information.
EDP Renewables HOLDS THE OFFICIAL INAUGURATION OF ITS WIND FARM IN VILLA CASTELLI, IN THE PROVINCE OF BRINDISI The inauguration of the wind farm, which has a total installed capacity of 20 MW, was attended by local representatives and figures from the Italian wind power sector. EDP Renewables has inaugurated its first wind farm in Italy last Friday, which was commissioned in December 2012. The ceremony was attended by Gianluca Veneroni, Managing Director of EDP Renewables in Italy, Francesco Nigro, Mayor of Villa Castelli, and Simone Togni, President of the Italian Wind Power Association. The new wind farm is located in the town of Villa Castelli, which is in the province of
Brindisi in the Apulia region, renowned for its olive plantations and the production of excellent quality olive oil. The wind farm comprises ten V90 wind turbines with a capacity of 2 MW each, providing a total installed capacity of 20 MW. The connection infrastructure was developed and implemented by EDPR, connecting the farm to the grid through the Brindisi-Taranto line. EDP Renewables expects the wind farm to generate an output of around 40 Gwh/year. This wind farm will be selling electricity through a visible remuneration scheme in place in Italy for the first 15 years of operation. onrenew 25