GE’s wind turbine technology is to make its debut in Brazil after the firm was chosen to supply equipment for projects that could add up to 400 MW of capacity to the grid.
Brazilian companies Dobreve Energia, S.A (DESA) and Renova Energia, S.A. have both selected GE’s 1.5 MW wind turbine technology and say that their projects will play a major role in diversifying Brazil’s energy supply.
At an auction held in December 2009 by the Brazilian government, DESA was successful with its bid to develop 144 MW of wind capacity in Rio Grande do Norte state while Renova won with its bid for 270 MW of capacity in the state of Bahia. The wind-specific auction was the first of its kind to be held in Brazil.
All of the projects are expected to be operational by July 2012.
“Wind farms are relatively new to the Brazilian energy market,” said Lindolfo Zimmer, CEO of DESA. “We built a partnership with GE focused on getting the best technology matched with our technical needs. This extensive effort, which took months of working together, built a winning strategy vital to our entry into the Brazilian wind energy market.”
“We are very excited with the opportunity to be part of this milestone programme, which will play a major role in helping Brazil diversify its energy supply and will bring economic development to the northeastern section of the country,” said Rafael Santana, CEO of GE Energy Latin American. “These projects will allow us to introduce our technology in Brazil, which offers a strong future for the development of wind energy.”
Brazil relies heavily on hydropower for its electricity supply. The recent wind auction reinforces its commitment to diversify energy sources by expanding its renewables portfolio.
Brazil has vast, untapped wind resources, thanks in large part to strong wind conditions along the country’s coastline. The Brazilian Wind Energy Association has set a goal of achieving 10 GW of wind energy capacity by 2020.
The country currently has 605 MW of wind capacity, with another 450 MW under construction.
