February 9, 2026: Brazilian electric engineering and power company WEG said on February 4 it will build a BESS manufacturing plant in the country.

WEG said it secured financing of Brazilian reais 280 million ($53 million) from a Brazilian Development Bank-backed innovation program for the project, in the state of Santa Catarina.

Construction of the new plant will begin soon, with completion scheduled for the second half of 2027, the company said.

The plant will expand the firm’s annual BESS production capacity to 2GWh, equivalent to 400 systems of 5MWh.

The facility will feature a high level of automation, including automatic and semi-automatic assembly lines, as well as the use of autonomous mobile robots. In addition, the complex will house a laboratory for product testing, development.

Alberto Kuba, president of WEG, said: “This investment is aligned with the strategic objective of positioning WEG and Brazil more competitively in the global energy transition landscape, mitigating risks and strengthening the country’s presence in this growing segment.”

In 2024, Brazil announced plans for the country’s first large-scale battery storage auction to promote battery technology and attract large manufacturers such as Huawei from China and other nations.

Batteries International reported then that while Brazil’s battery storage market was still in its infancy, with only a limited number of projects in operation, the country boasted one of the cleanest energy grids globally, with more than 80% of its electricity generated from renewable resources.

Hydropower dominates that mix, but with increasing drought conditions hurting hydroelectric production, the government is pushing for greater investment in wind and solar energy.