Brazil is known as a top producer of biofuels, but the South American nation also has vast potential for wind power according an industry analyst with Frost & Sullivan.
With it’s long southern Atlantic coastline, the country could theoretically produce 143 gigawatts (GW) of wind power, representing a $100 billion in investment, according to a report prepared by analyst Jorge De Rosa. Furthermore, 70% of the country’s population is concentrated along this coastline, providing a market for power generation.
The country currently relies on hydropower for about 80% of its elecricity demand. De Rosa said Brazil wants to diversify it energy mix and boost overall generation by at least 4.5 GW.
“The wind power in Brazil could be an very interesting and complementary source due to the seasonality,” De Rosa said. “Wind power can supply energy in the dry season of Brazil, and vice versa.”
The 143 GW potential noted by De Rosa does not include off shore wind farms, meaning the potential is actually far greater. However, De Rosa said offshore wind power–which is much more expensive to build–is in the "very distant future."
At the end of 2008, Brazil had about 341 megawatts (MW) of installed wind power capacity—equivalent to about about 0.4% of the country’s total energy supply.
But DeRosa said the government might create incentives for wind power development as early as November, offering about $100 per megawatt hour.
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