Born in Angola, Álvaro Brandão Pinto graduated in Mechanical Engineering from IST (Instituto Superior Técnico - Portugal) in 1979, branch of Applied Thermodynamics.

In 1980 he began working in an Engineering Services Company, where he designed special installations for buildings and industrial installations.

In 1981 he joined the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering of Portugal, where he carried out research work in the field of thermal behaviour of buildings.

In 1986 he joined the technical staff of an International Consulting Company, where he developed studies in the area of energy and devised restructuring plans for some industrial sectors, such as fertilizers, and steel.

In 1989 he moved to a group that develops and implements various information systems to manage the operation, maintenance and energy performance of industrial equipment and facilities.

In 1993 he joined an energy services group in Portugal where, as Delegated Administrator, he was responsible for the development of several energy conservation projects, mainly cogeneration plants, as well as electricity production units from renewable sources. This group was part of a joint venture that won a competition for the allocation of interconnection rights of 1,200 MW of wind projects.

Since 1996, he has been part of the Board of Directors of COGEN Portugal, the National Association of Energy Efficiency, and has assumed in the last terms the presidency of this social body. As an executive member of this Association, he was deeply involved in the elaboration and updating of the legal framework applicable to decentralized energy production in Portugal.

In 2010 he joined the NOVENERGIA Group, now assuming the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Holding. Since 2019, NOVENERGIA has been 100% owned by the TOTAL EREN Group, which develops renewable energy projects (Hydro, Wind and Solar) in several countries, with a total installed capacity in operation of more than 2200 MW.