Working towards a sunnier tomorrow is what GreenVolt is dedicated to, one sunny day at a time.

Every industry runs on energy, but the more we exploit unsustainable energy sources - the more we harm the environment.

The planet is pleading for change and it’s high time we took a new, more ethical approach to energy. The healthy alternative that helps us become balanced with nature and become carbon neutral is switching to renewable sources.

João Manso Neto’s vision as the CEO of GreenVolt is to generate innovation and utilize the clean, smart energy we actually need.

There is one way to keep our planet green and clean, and that is by taking advantage of forestry, agroforestry, wood recycling, and solar power sources. GreenVolt’s mission is to produce energy exclusively from sustainable sources while using the proper biomass and reducing carbon footprint.

Stick around and unfold the revolutionary story of João and his idea for a greener, healthier tomorrow.

A Portrait of Young Man

Ever since his formative university years, João Manso Neto was an ambitious young man that showed an exceptional interest and talent for entrepreneurship.

In 1981, João got his Economics degree from Lisbon School of Economics and Management. After that, he obtained a postgraduate degree in European Economics from The Catholic University of Portugal in 1982.

In addition to that, João completed a professional education course through the American Bankers Association in 1982, then the academic component of the Master’s program in Economics at NOVA University Lisbon. Finally, in 1985, he attended the Advanced Management Program for Overseas Bankers at the Wharton School in Philadelphia.

Garnering Professional Experience

Apart from his extensive education journey, João has an impressively rich professional portfolio, too.

Right after his graduation, João started working at Banco Português do Atlântico, where he stayed until 1995. Climbing up the professional ladder throughout the years, he became Head of the International Credit Division and General Manager responsible for Financial and South Retail areas.

From 1995 to 2002, João served as General Manager of Financial Management, General Manager of Large Corporates and Institutional Businesses, and General Manager of the Treasury at Banco Comercial Português. Additionally, he joined the Board of Directors of BCP Banco de Investimento and became Vice-Chairman of BIG Bank Gdansk in Poland.

João briefly served as a member of the Board of Banco Português de Negócios before he started working at EDP as General Manager and Member of the Board of EDP Produção. He was a Member of the Board of Naturgas Energia and OMEL and apart from GreenVolt, he was also elected CEO at HC Energía.

The Rise of an Environmentally Conscious Brand

GreenVolt was founded in 2002 as a result of a strategic shareholder partnership as well as a dedication to promoting circular economy and sustainability.

The ALTRI Group and the EDP Group had joint control (50%/50%) over the newly launched brand.

In July 2018, ALTRI acquired the remaining stake in EDP Group’s possession and therefore obtained 100% of the company’s capital and voting rights.

When it comes to the biomass part, GreenVolt currently has five forest biomass production plants: Mortágua (with an installed capacity of 8.6 MW); Rodão (with an installed capacity of 12.8 MW), Constance (12.8 MW of installed power), and two Figueira da Foz plants (one with 28 MW and another with 34.5 MW of installed power). These power plants produce an estimated total power of 720 GWh on an annual level.

In 2019, GreenVolt became the first Portuguese company to tackle green bonds with the help of its wholly-owned subsidiary Sociedade Bioelétrica do Mondego, S.A. The main goal of the operation was to boost the capital of the subsidiary with the purpose of constructing a new biomass thermoelectric power station. The station was located in Figueira da Foz and served as a means of reduction of external dependence and greenhouse brought about by fossil fuels usage.

Not only does the use of forest biomass reinforce GreenVolt’s dedication to a clean and renewable energy production environment, but it also results in better forest management and job creation. Most importantly, projects connected to forest biomass usage contribute to the reduction of the risk of forest fires, which have been a huge issue in the previous decade.

By working on the first Green Bond Issue in Portugal, following the Green Bond Principles’ conditions and published by the International Capital Market Association, GreenVolt established itself as a powerful brand in the area of renewable energy sources.

Funding a Green Idea

As an acclaimed name in the environment-friendly, renewable energy industry, GreenVolt has been successful in funding and investments over the two decades of its existence. GreenVolt’s mission is to contribute to a healthier world where sustainable energy is predominantly used. For this purpose, the company has developed a complex growth strategy focusing on three areas of renewable energy: biomass, solar and photovoltaic energy, and decentralized energy generation.

The latest major investment happened in July 2021, when the company raised 150 million euros in an IPO offering with the purpose of the brand’s expansion and contribution to new solar parks and wind farms throughout Europe. This initial public offering was the biggest one on the Portuguese stock exchange since 2014 and raised GreenVolts total capital to around a pretty substantial sum of 500 million euros.

Soon after the IPO, GreenVolt started a trade of its shares on the Euronext Lisbon stock market. The company offered 30.59 million shares at 4.25 euros per share as an initial set price that eventually increased to 5 euros. Up to 4.59 million additional shares were additionally open for sale to joint global coordinators.

A Vision in Progress

As an acclaimed renewable energy brand that handles five forest biomass-fueled thermoelectric plants in Portugal, GreenVolt plans to provide investments at approximately 1.8 billion euros in solar photovoltaic and onshore wind projects across Europe by 2025.

As João said after the initial public offering in 2021, GreenVolt’s mission is to expand its expertise in other European countries. The company has established itself as an ambitious leader in introducing sustainable energy resources around Europe.

With the rise of the renewable energy market and the popularity of this field among global investors and governments, GreenVolt remains a trailblazer that expects to attract valuable investments.

V-Ridium Power Services is one of the major current partners in an advanced stage of collaboration that promises a bright future for the company’s vision. Through this partnership, GreenVolt is working on numerous pan-European wind and solar projects with an estimated power of around 2,800 MW.

Another major project of GreenVolt’s that's already under construction is the Tábua Solar Photovoltaic Plant. The plant just started operating in 2022 and it will have a total power of 48 MW.

GreenVolt, Today

In January this year, GreenVolt was proclaimed as Issuer of the Year at the Euronext Lisbon Awards. This award is proof of the outstanding relevance of the company’s operations in the renewable energy market. As a major next step in combating climate change and replacing fossil fuels with sustainable resources, GreenVolt plans to conquer the American market.

Two decades after its launch, GreenVolt holds its headquarters in Lisbon and employs up to 500 people, all of which are contributing to painting our world greener.

Despite having to fend off the competition coming from competitors like Jem Enterprises, Meridian Deployment Corporation, and M V Systems, among others, GreenVolt managed to take home the prize and persist as the leader in designing sustainable energy sources.

With all the enthusiasm and dedication in GreenVolt, we can only imagine the ways this company will make our planet a better place to live.