Ceará has taken an important step in advancing natural gas coverage in the state. Since the beginning of the month, the Cariri region now has piped natural gas supply with the operation of the Cariri Natural Gas Distribution Station. Made viable by Cegás, a company with shareholding participation from Norgás, the Energisa Group, and Mitsui, the project is a milestone for the state's sustainable economic development, bringing piped natural gas for the first time to the municipalities of Crato, Juazeiro do Norte, and Barbalha (CRAJUBAR), one of the main economic hubs in the Northeast.

With an investment of R$ 25 million, the Cariri Project includes a distribution station installed on a 10 thousand square meter area, approximately 42 km of pipelines, and capacity to distribute up to 50 thousand cubic meters of natural gas per day. The region has great potential for fuel consumption. There are over 200 small, medium, and large industries located in Cariri, which together can consume about 35,000 m³ of natural gas.

The largest expansion of Cegás' distribution network to the interior since its creation, the works to bring piped natural gas to Cariri began in 2025. The completion of the work fulfills a long-term plan aimed at expanding the supply of a more efficient and competitive energy source for the interior of Ceará.

For the CEO of the Gas Business at Energisa Group, Fabio Bertollo (pictured), natural gas distribution in Cariri represents a strategic advance and reinforces the Group's commitment to a safe energy transition.

"Bringing natural gas to the interior is a fundamental step to expand regional competitiveness and stimulate industrialization. This expansion highlights the transformative role of energy infrastructure in the development of the territories where we operate," says Bertollo.

The Energisa Group executive also highlights that the delivery of the infrastructure reinforces the Northeast's potential to attract investments and promote long-term sustainability, connecting economic growth, energy security, and innovation.

The new infrastructure was designed to meet the region's expansion in the coming years, enabling the supply of natural gas to industries, hotels, hospitals, restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets, residential condominiums, and fuel stations. The initiative will help reduce energy costs, increase business competitiveness, and attract new investments to Cariri.

The project's potential can already be seen in the operation of Trevo Drywall, the first industry connected to the system. With an estimated consumption of about 21 thousand cubic meters of natural gas per day, the factory accounts for more than 40% of the network's initial capacity, demonstrating the economic viability of the new infrastructure and the regional market's expansion capacity.

For the CEO of Cegás, José Eduardo Marzagão Filho, the inauguration is a historic moment for the development of Ceará.

"The arrival of natural gas in Cariri symbolizes a new growth cycle for one of the most dynamic regions in the state. We are delivering strategic infrastructure that expands business competitiveness, strengthens investment attraction, generates employment opportunities, and prepares the region for increasingly sustainable development. Cegás thus fulfills its mission of delivering quality energy to drive Ceará's growth."

About Energisa – The Energisa Group is a company that has been thinking about the future since 1905, as innovation and entrepreneurship have always been in its DNA. It has been 120 years of stories and evolving relationships. Founded in Zona da Mata, Minas Gerais, Energisa is today one of the largest private groups in the Brazilian electricity sector. We are an ecosystem of products and services that connects people and companies to the best energy solutions and enhances the country's future.

Our portfolio includes 9 electricity distribution companies, 13 transmission concessions, a centralized photovoltaic generation plant, an innovative energy solutions brand – (re)energisa – which has one of the largest distributed photovoltaic generation parks in the country, in addition to energy trading in the free market and value-added services.

In July 2023, we began operating in the natural gas distribution and trading segment, through the acquisition of ES Gás, and since November 2024, we have acquired a stake in the assets of Cegás, Copergás, Algás, and Potigás. The Group operates in the production and trading of bio-solutions (treatment of waste from the agro-industrial sector, biomethane, biofertilizers) through the Agric plants in Santa Catarina and Lurean in Paraná.

We transform energy into comfort, development, and sustainability for more than 20 million people across 939 municipalities in all regions of the country, and generate over 20 thousand direct and indirect jobs.