Brazil is positioned well to establish itself as a major player in the wind energy sector, the chairman of French energy company GDF Suez said Friday.
"Brazil is particularly suitable for wind energy investments, taking into account the attractiveness of both the natural environment and the commercial background," Chairman Gerard Mestrallet said in a statement.
The French company said it was working through its regional subsidiary, Tractebel Energia, to build a strong renewable energy portfolio in Brazil.
Within the next six years, the company said it expects to commission around 750 megawatts of wind energy in northeast Brazil.
A report from the Global Wind Energy Council finds Brazil has total installed wind capacity of 4 gigawatts. GWEC expects Brazil to move into the global Top 10 in terms of wind power.
Around 750 MW of additional renewable capacity is expected to be commissioned over the next 6 years through construction at the Santa Monica Wind Park and at the recently acquired Campo Largo complex. Both projects are located in the Northeast of Brazil.
Gerard Mestrallet, Chairman and CEO of GDF SUEZ, commented: “These new developments confirm our commitment to Brazil, which is a key market for GDF SUEZ. Brazil is particularly suitable for wind energy investments, taking into account the attractiveness of both the natural environment and the commercial background.”
The 97 MW Santa Monica project, in the State of Ceará close to Tractebel Energia’s existing Trairi (115 MW) and Beberibe Wind Farms (26 MW), will benefit from shared infrastructure including substations and a transmission line. Santa Monica is expected to become operational in the second half of 2016 and its output has been sold directly to commercial customers under contracts with terms of up to 8 years.
Campo Largo, located in the State of Bahia, comprises several wind development projects totaling around 650 MW that are in different phases of development. There is also an option to develop solar projects in the same area. These projects are subject to full local approvals and are expected to be developed in the next 6 years.
In addition to these projects, Tractebel Energia also commissioned 115 MW at the Trairi Wind Park in the first quarter of this year.