Ocean Winds links with Brazil's Eletrobras for offshore wind development
South America's largest nation has some 96GW of potential development and has excited global interest, but regulatory bill has flagged
Global offshore wind developer Ocean Winds has entered a strategic partnership with Brazilian utility Eletrobras to study offshore wind development in South America’s largest nation.
Ocean Winds, a joint venture of EDPR and Engie, and Eletrobras signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to reflect their shared “commitment to advancing offshore wind projects within the country while aligning with its renewable energy and economic development goals,” the firms said.
The partnership combines Ocean Winds’ “offshore wind expertise with Eletrobras’ extensive energy legacy in Brazil,” said Rafael Munilla, chief business development officer of Ocean Winds.
“We look forward to building a long-term relationship with Eletrobras to assist Brazil in tapping into its natural wind resources for a sustainable energy future, while also promoting local job creation and community development.”
Leonardo Soares Walter, M&A and business development director for Eletrobras, said the MoU “allows the development of a strategic cooperation, which will contribute to ensuring that the generating sources in Brazil and the world become increasingly cleaner and renewed, guaranteeing the decarbonization of the economy with energy security.”
A plan tabled in 2022 to create the regulatory framework for the sector generated huge interest from the development community, which submitted more than 230GW of potential capacity for environmental permitting proposals.
But Brazil’s offshore wind bill became embroiled in a web of congressional politics and is still awaiting approval almost two years after that first Senate vote.
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