Wind power expansion expected to continue in upcoming years
Wind power is the fastest-growing energy source in the country.
Brazil's wind energy production capacity will rise from the current 8,700 megawatts (MW) to 24,000 MW over the next eight years. In its Ten-Year Energy Expansion plan, the government expects that by 2024, Brazil's wind farms will account for 11.5% of all energy produced in the country. By the end of 2016, installed capacity is expected to reach 11,000 MW, according to projections from the Brazilian Wind Energy Association (ABEEólica).
Wind power is the fastest-growing energy source in the country. Between November 2014 and November 2015, the industry's installed capacity grew 56.9% compared to the previous 12-month period, according to the Ministry of Mines and Energy. Last year, more than 100 wind farms opened in the country, taking in investments of $4.7 billion. Currently, there are 349 wind farms in Brazil, most of them in the Northeast.
“Wind energy in Brazil is something fairly new, and this industry has been built on very strong foundations since we have great wind resources in Brazil—indeed, one of the best in the world—and as we learned how to harness that, we were able to place wind power at great comparative and competitive advantage,” says Elbia Gannoum, chair of ABEEólica.
According to Larissa Rodrigues, coordinator for Greenpeace's Renewable Energy campaign, the outlook for expanding the country's wind power production capacity is positive, especially given that the industry has gained momentum in the past decade. But she thinks the goal of achieving 24,000 MW installed capacity in 2024 is too modest. “When you look at what's complete and what's being built, there's not much left to go. Based on what we have today, we could be looking forward to much more in 2024,” she says.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Wind power expansion expected to continue in upcoming years
