Renewable energy firm Canadian Solar has secured a contract in Brazil for the development of five solar photovoltaic (PV) projects, which have a combined power generation capacity of 185MW.

Planned to be developed in the municipality of Pirapora, in the state in Minas Gerais, the projects are scheduled to be commissioned in mid-2017.

A Brazilian Government entity will buy the power generated from the facilities under a 20 year power purchase agreement at the rate of R$298.58/MWh (around $84/MWh).

Canadian Solar chairman and chief executive officer Dr Shawn Qu said: "This win in Brazil demonstrates the strength of our global project development capabilities, and positions us well to become a solar energy leader in this important emerging market.

"Brazil has significant solar resources and a large energy market, which provides us with an opportunity to establish our brand, take market share and deliver good results for our shareholders."

The company is seeking equity partners for the projects and expects to benefit from adequate developer margins if these are sold.

Canadian Solar is engaged in manufacturing solar photovoltaic modules and developing solar energy solutions. It is also has pipeline of utility-scale projects.