Aerial view of the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, where Neoenergia is studying the development of offshore wind energy. (Photo: Canindé Soares)

Neoenergia, a subsidiary of the Iberdrola Group in Brazil, and the Government of Rio Grande do Norte signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Tuesday to develop studies for the production of offshore wind generation in the coastal region of the state. The agreement also includes mutual cooperation and exchange actions involving socioeconomic, environmental, technical and regulatory aspects.

The signing was held during the 14th edition of Brazil Windpower, the largest wind energy event in Latin America, which was held this week in São Paulo.

“This is another partnership that is in line with Neoenergia’s strategy. We are protagonists of the energy transition in Brazil. We believe that new business opportunities are guided by decarbonization, innovation and the development of new technologies to generate clean, safe and reliable energy,” said Eduardo Capelastegui, CEO of Neoenergia.

Capelastegui argued that the first step towards the growth of the offshore wind energy market in Brazil is the definition of a regulatory framework for the new segment. “This is fundamental for the development of the industrial chain with added value and the valuation of the socio-environmental attributes of the source. We also consider that the framework will be important for legal and regulatory certainty and predictability for investors,” he added.

The governor of Rio Grande do Norte, Fátima Bezerra, stated that the signing of the memorandum of understanding with Neoenergy is part of a sequence of unfolding conversations and meetings with the company.

“It has always been our intention to keep Rio Grande do Norte in the Brazilian leadership in the production of clean energy, and this will happen through mutual interests, such as what the Neoenergia Group has demonstrated through the exchange of information and technical missions involving Neoenergia teams and those of the State Government. Therefore, this memorandum will be very important for us to segment these conversations, especially for the development of offshore projects, in addition to logistical support for port infrastructure,” emphasized Governor Fátima Bezerra.

This is already the fourth signing of a memorandum of understanding carried out by Neoenergia for the development of offshore wind projects in the country. The company is conducting studies to assess the feasibility of developing offshore wind projects in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and Ceará.

Neoenergia has a pioneering legacy in the development of wind power generation in Rio Grande do Norte. The company has 11 wind farms in the state: Calango, Mel, Arizona and Rio do Fogo, which started operating in 2006. Through Neoenergia Cosern, the company serves approximately 1.5 million customers in the distribution segment.

Currently, Neoenergia has 5.2 GW of installed generation capacity, 90% of which is renewable energy, and is implementing an additional 200 MW with the completion of the onshore wind farms.

To find out more about Neoenergia’s current affairs, visit the Neoenergia Communication Room.

* Neoenergia, S.A. is indirectly owned by Iberdrola, S.A. with a 50% + 1 share.