Highly interested by the incredible potential of 700 GW for offshore wind in Brazil (according to a study by the Energy Research Company EPE), OW started in December 2020 to license five new offshore wind projects for a total capacity of 15 GW in the states of Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio de Janeiro, and Rio Grande do Sul.
Bautista Rodríguez, CEO of Ocean Winds, said: “With a 11.2 GW portfolio of projects in seven countries, OW positioned itself as a pioneer leader in the offshore wind sector and aims at expanding its footprint. OW performs a strict market analysis and selection to ensure only countries with strong fundamentals are selected, and, since 2020, Brazil shows a high potential for offshore wind projects. This is reinforced by the latest steps taken in the right direction for regulatory framework for offshore wind development in the country.”
On the importance of these offshore wind projects for Brazil, Bautista Rodríguez stated: “The development of this new sector of activity in Brazil is an important opportunity to meet the growing demand for energy, develop green hydrogen projects, diversify the energy matrix, and thus ensure the country’s energy security with a renewable source that has a competitive cost for the consumer compared to fossil sources.”
Counting with the support of its sponsors (ENGIE being the second largest private-sector power company in Brazil and EDPR with 795 MW of wind and solar installed capacity in the country), OW is seeking authorisations for Licença Prévia (Environmental Permit) at IBAMA for the following projects: Vento Tupi (1 GW), Maral (2 GW), Ventos do Atlântico (5 GW), Tramandaí offshore (700 MW), and Ventos do Sul (6.5 GW).
