Equinor seeking licences for massive Brazilian offshore wind projects

Local press reports said Equinor is seeking licences for the Aracatu I and Aracatu II windfarms offshore Rio and Espírito Santo.

A spokesperson for Equinor confirmed that applications for environmental licences were submitted in the week beginning 17 August 2020, but could not provide further details.

The projects would each have a capacity of 2 GW but could grow in size to 2.33 GW each, which, combined, would make them the world’s largest, should they succeed in obtaining environmental licences and be built.

As highlighted recently by OWJ, if granted licences by Ibama, a number of offshore wind projects could be ready to compete in energy auctions in the country by 2023.

As reported by OWJ, the steep decline in the levelised cost of energy from offshore wind could enable Equninor to take part in energy auctions in Brazil.

Earlier this month, the country’s mines and energy minister Bento Albuquerque said building 1 GW of offshore wind every year is ‘feasible.’

Several commercial-scale projects in addition to those proposed by Equinor are awaiting decisions on environmental licences from Ibama.

Source: Riviera

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