Copel Mercado Livre will sell energy to the Port of Paranaguá for the next five years. The supply provides service to the 5 units in Porto, starting in May of this year. The estimated savings are R$ 10 million to R$ 13 million in the contracted period, depending on the current tariff flag.

In addition to the move to the free market, the Port of Paranaguá chose the “retail consumer” modality to simplify the entire process in the market. In this contracting model, Copel is responsible for intermediation and obligations with the CCEE (Electric Energy Trading Chamber). For the Port of Paranaguá, this means the possibility of saving energy costs and, at the same time, dispenses with association with CCEE, facilitating the process.

"This contract represents another important step towards the realization of our strategy to bring final consumers closer", points out the director general of Copel Mercado Livre, Franklin Miguel. "The Port of Paranaguá wins, which will save energy, and wins Copel Mercado Livre, which expands revenue from sales to end consumers. Paraná and Paraná also win, with two more efficient companies."

According to the president of Portos do Paraná, Luiz Fernando Garcia, the contract with Copel shows the search for the efficiency of the Administrative and Financial and Engineering and Maintenance Directorates with the economy and modernity. "This process of buying energy means the effort of our team in search of innovations, the contract will bring savings and this money saved we can invest in other projects and improvements", he highlights.

The largest bulk port in Brazil and the third largest in the country, the Port of Paranaguá is yet another state company from Paraná that chose to buy energy in the free contract environment. In 2020, the Paraná Institute of Technology (Tecpar) signed a contract with Copel's subsidiary. Last year, Copel also sold energy on the free market to the Legislative Assembly of the State of Paraná.

Created in 1935, Porto is currently managed by Portos do Paraná, a state public company subordinated to the State Secretariat for Infrastructure and Logistics, with a delegation agreement with the Federal Government.

Pioneer 

Copel was a pioneer in the free market when it created an energy trader and was the first to sell energy to free consumers in 1995, the same year that the free energy market was created in Brazil. Copel Mercado Livre was created in 2016, to offer more savings and peace of mind to customers from all regions of the country.

Today, the subsidiary is the fourth largest in the country in terms of volume of energy sold in this modality. “Our goal is to simplify the entire free market process for our customers. We want him to have the benefits of the economy without worrying about anything else, "says Franklin Miguel."

Copel Mercado Livre is now preparing to serve energy consumers in all segments. To this end, the subsidiary is promoting the digitization of its processes. The expectation is that by the end of 2021 the company will be 100% digital, facilitating the provision of services to final consumers.

"We are expanding the commercialization of energy in the retail sector, as we believe in this trend of simplifying the process for consumers who want the free market economy, without the bureaucracy of the Electric Energy Trading Chamber", adds the director.

The subsidiary also intends to diversify its operations, entering the free market for natural gas, distributed generation, certificates of renewable energy and energy efficiency. The idea is to have a portfolio of products and services for all types of consumers, from small to large consumers of electricity and natural gas.