Voltalia to file an appeal against a preliminary decision to suspend permits of the Canudos project in Brazil

Voltalia (Euronext Paris, ISIN code: FR0011995588), an international player in renewable energy, announces, today that it is filing an appeal against a judicial preliminary decision to suspend permits of the Canudos wind farms.

The Canudos project, located in the State of Bahia, is composed of two wind farms with a total capacity of 99.4 megawatts.

A federal judge of Feira de Santana/BA Court made a preliminary decision to suspend the wind farms’ permits on the basis that the State of Bahia’s environmental agency implemented a procedure not applicable to a project located in a region populated with lear macaws, a Brazilan parrot. A new additional environmental study is requested, in addition to the initial studies which were performed during the environmental permitting procedure.

Voltalia reaffirms that it has obtained all the legally required authorizations for the construction and operation of the Canudos project and that it is in full compliance with the environmental permitting procedure held by the competent State’s environmental agency. Therefore Voltalia intends to appeal against the preliminary decision.

Voltalia’s core mission, as a producer of renewable electricity, is to fight climate change and, by extension, to protect biodiversity. Voltalia also supports local development projects, in constant dialogue with communities. This commitment is a driving force for all of Voltalia’s projects.

Voltalia reaffirms its openness to dialogue to clarify any doubts that may arise from authorities, communities, environmentalists and other stakeholders.

Voltalia has put in place a range of initiatives in the State of Bahia

Voltalia has been carrying out in-depth studies to assess potential impacts of its activities on the local flora and fauna, if any. All studies revealed a low presence of lear macaws in the Canudos project vincinity.

Despite of very low risks, Voltalia has developed the Conservation Program for the Lear Macaws and the Repopulation Program of Licurizeiro, based on the National Action Plan for the Conservation of Caatinga Birds (PAN), following ICMBio/CEMAVE guidelines.

Voltalia’s action plan include:

• Monitoring of lear macaws’ population in the region, which has increased steadily since 2019;

• Recovery of licuri trees areas, which were damaged in the region for decades. Licuri trees are the main food source of lear macaws;

• Creation of a nesting area protected against the risk of wildlife trafficking;

• Continuous monitoring by video surveillance of all wind turbines with an automatic protocol, triggering sounds and stoping turbines, to avoid potential impacts if and when the birds approach;

• Painting of the wind turbines’ blades in order to improve visibility for the birds.