Ocean Winds, Rio de Janeiro Form Offshore Wind Partnership | Offshore Wind - Offshore WIND
Ocean Winds, Rio de Janeiro Form Offshore Wind Partnership | Offshore Wind
Ocean Winds, Rio de Janeiro Form Offshore Wind Partnership
Ocean Winds, a 50-50 joint venture between EDP Renewables and Engie, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to collaborate on developing offshore wind projects within the state.
The MoU focuses on developing socioeconomically and environmentally sustainable offshore wind projects in the State of Rio de Janeiro maritime area, said Ocean Winds.
According to the company, this partnership focuses on supporting the region in its energy transition; identification of promising avenues for the development of projects within the State’s borders; the conduct of thorough assessments in order to identify potential regulatory and fiscal barriers as well as opportunities for the realisation of projects.
“The partnership between Ocean Winds and the State of Rio de Janeiro showcases a shared dedication to harnessing the vast offshore wind potential of the State, serving as a catalyst not only for the energy transition of the region, but also for its economic development through a new industry and local employment opportunities,” said Rafael Palhares, Business Development Director for Brazil and South America for Ocean Winds
“With an international and successful track record of unlocking offshore wind opportunities around our more than 17 GW of portfolio of secured projects, we are proud and excited to bring this expertise to the realization of the tremendous potential of Brazil for offshore wind energy.”
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In June last year, Ocean Winds launched OW Brasil, its Brazilian arm working on development opportunities of offshore wind projects in the country.
The company submitted applications for environmental permits to the country’s Institute for Environment and Natural Resources (IBAMA) for five projects totalling 15.2 GW, including a 5 GW offshore wind project called Ventos do Atlântico in Rio de Janeiro.
In addition to the MoU signed with the State of Rio de Janeiro, Ocean Winds also inked an agreement with the local company Prumo Logistica and an amendment to the 2021 MoU with Rio Grande do Norte state government.
“The state of Rio de Janeiro has the third longest coastline in the country – 636 km. Constant, unidirectional winds make part of the coast the perfect setting for offshore wind farms. The signing of this memorandum of understanding is another step towards decarbonizing the economy, towards sustainable development,” said the acting governor, Thiago Pampolha.
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Related Knowledge Center: Offshore wind energy
Over the next decade, U.S. offshore wind power is expected to grow from a single 30-megawatt wind farm off Rhode Island to more than 2,000 MW of capacity along the Atlantic Seaboard. There are contracts for wind power off the coasts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Virginia.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has estimated the United States has over 4,000 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind potential, enough to power the country four times over.
The growth in part being spurred by state solicitations, including in New York, where then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) set a commitment of 9,000 MW of offshore wind by 2035, and in Connecticut, where in June 2021, Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed legislation authorizing the construction of 2,000 MW of offshore wind by 2030.
The offshore development is also being driven by an investment tax credit set to end in December 2019 and is equal to 12 percent of expenditures. U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Tom Carper (D-Del.) have introduced a bill to extend the tax credit for up to eight years.
The Interior Department has held eight competitive lease sales that resulted in 15 offshore wind leases over 1.7 million acres that has the potential for 21 GW of capacity. In February 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management completed a bidding process that realized $4.37 billion for 488,000 acres across six lease areas in federal waters off New York and New Jersey.
Projects have also been proposed off the Southeast coast, off California and Hawaii, and for the Great Lakes.