Rio de Janeiro – Wind energy is entering a new stage in terms of competitiveness in Brazil, with forecasted investment exceeding 40 billion reals (US$ 19.6 billion) up until 2020. This new stage, which began in 2009, amounts to an added 6.7 gigawatts (GW) of power, at the cost of 100 reals (US$ 49) per megawatt-hour (MWh).
Brazilian investment in wind energy began in 2004, with subsidies from the Alternative Energy Sources Incentive Program (Proinfa, in the Portuguese acronym). The goal was to come up with new technologies and renewable forms of power generation, including Small Hydroelectric Stations, biomass and wind.
Wind is the second most competitive source in the country. "Right now, the only cheaper source is large hydroelectric plants,” said the CEO of the Brazilian Wind Energy Association (Abeeólica), Elbia Melo. Issues pertaining to technology, market and financing will be discussed by industry representatives starting this Wednesday (29th) in Rio de Janeiro, during the 3rd Brazil WindPower. It is the leading event for the industry in Latin America, and will continue until August 31st.
From 2004 to 2011, 25 billion reals (US$ 12.2 billion) were invested in the Brazilian wind energy industry. The country’s wind power potential amounts to 300 GW and concentrates mainly in the Northeast and South, especially the states of Bahia, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará and Rio Grande do Sul, said Elbia. The figure was revised this year in the light of new technologies implemented. The first survey, conducted in 2001, showed potential for 143 GW to be generated through wind energy.
In June this year, the wind energy industry completed 2 GW of installed capacity, spread across 71 facilities. By the end of 2016, the goal is to add 8.4 GW of wind power to the national electric system, equivalent to 5.4% of the country’s global energy matrix, as against a current 1.5%. “It grows as the years go by and should reach 15% by 2020, if we keep our current pace.” Approximately 2 GW are expected to be sold at auctions each year.
“The wind energy scenario is quite favourable in terms of future outlook, because in addition to adding this new source to the matrix, we have brought in the production chain, the supply chain as a whole,” she said. Because it is a capital- and technology-intensive source, the number of equipment manufacturers in Brazil went from two in 2008 to 11 last year.
Technology issues explain the strong competitiveness of wind energy, said Elbia. The wind energy production towers, which were 50 metres high as of 2009, are now 100 metres high. She said this change has improved the volume of wind captured and the productivity, bringing down production costs.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
