Petróleo Brasileiro SA has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Rio Grande do Norte to explore the feasibility of a pilot offshore wind project in the state.
Rio Grande do Norte will align the project with state initiatives and streamline research and development processes. They’ll also focus on improving the region surrounding the pilot project. In turn, Petrobras will conduct environmental and social impact studies to ensure the project’s viability.
“Petrobras has been establishing partnerships with institutions and companies to acquire knowledge and training in the offshore wind segment, in order to evaluate future projects and opportunities in this segment. Rio Grande do Norte has a natural vocation, an excellent wind regime for offshore wind projects and we believe that the state’s vocation should be capitalized on”, Petrobras president, Jean Paul Prates, said in a press release.
Petrobras said the company boasts the most potential offshore wind projects under study in Brazil with applications filed with Ibama, the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources.
The company is actively investing in research and development to make offshore wind a reality, it said. Petrobras said it has requested licensing for projects in 10 areas, totaling a potential capacity of 23 gigawatts (GW). Seven of these projects are located in the Northeast region, with a combined potential of 14.3 GW. Additionally, Petrobras is collaborating with Equinor on studies in seven further areas, offering another 14.5 GW of potential capacity, Petrobras said.
“The company is conducting the largest wind mapping campaign in Brazil”, Petrobras said. “Last year, the company completed a decade of offshore wind measurements and is intensifying measurement campaigns in some locations in the Brazilian sea, which are fundamental for assessing the technical feasibility of future offshore wind energy installations.
“This is the case, for example, with six platforms located in shallow waters off the coasts of the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará and Espírito Santo”.
