OREANDA-NEWS. Cofely do Brasil has just taken a 51% interest in Emac, a Brazilian company specializing in the maintenance of air-conditioning systems and in multi-technical services. As a European expert in the energy efficiency sector, the Group will now have a strong platform from which to meet the demand from the Brazilian energy efficiency services market.

This acquisition will primarily enable Cofely to introduce energy performance agreements, or design and operating agreements that include financing (like Build, Operate, Transfer or BOT agreements) for commercial and industrial customers' air-conditioning systems. The Group will be able to rely on its strong positions in Brazil, especially in power generation, in order to support the development of its energy efficiency business activities. The financial closing of this transaction is expected the end of this year.

Emac was founded in 1976, and is one of the standard-setting players in the operation and maintenance of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, and in related services for the industrial and commercial sectors in Brazil. Emac has 850 employees, and operates in over 15 Brazilian states where it has around 450 customers, including Bradesco, Cemig, Petrobras, Santander, Vale, and Vallourec. The company is based in Belo Horizonte in south-eastern Brazil, and will continue to be run by its founders.

This transaction is in line with the international development of GDF SUEZ and of its subsidiary Cofely in energy efficiency business activities which specifically includes the acquisition of Termika in 2012, one of the leading energy services companies in Chile or the acquisition in 2012 of the urban cooling network of Cyberjaya in Malaysia. In Europe, the Group also purchased the British company specialized in facility management, Balfour Beatty Workplace in August 2013. Thanks to the expertise and skills of its additional 9.000 employees, Cofely will be able to further expand its energy efficiency activities in the United Kingdom.

GDF SUEZ has operations in all its businesses in Latin America, where it has around 4,600 employees and generated revenues of over €4 billion in 2012; the company has a power generation capacity of around 17 GW in the region, of which 13 GW have been commissioned.