Offshore wind developer Corio Generation and Brazilian port developer Prumo have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore using the port of Açu as a strategic base for Corio’s future offshore wind projects.
Corio is aiming to develop five Brazilian offshore wind farms, totalling up to 6 GW, which are expected to be among the first wave of offshore wind farms built in Brazil. Sites for the proposed fixed-bottom developments, each around 1.2 GW in size, have been registered in the country’s north-eastern, south-eastern and southern maritime areas.
Port of Açu is expected to play a key role in supporting Brazil’s offshore wind sector due to its location and proximity to proposed wind farm sites. The MoU agreed between Corio and Prumo will see the two companies explore using the port as a strategic base, involving the potential reservation of a dedicated area for future wind farm installation, operation and maintenance.
Rogério Zampronha, ceo of Prumo, said: “We already have 33 GW of offshore wind projects off the coast of the port of Açu under licence by Ibama (the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources). Around 35 percent of a wind project is logistical, so this makes the port of Açu with its excellent infrastructure an unbeatable solution for the installation of these wind farms.”
Jonathan Cole, ceo of Corio Generation, a portfolio company of Macquarie Asset Management, added: “To support the deployment of offshore wind farms in Brazil, it is critical that we have first-class port infrastructure for wind farm installation, operation and maintenance.”
Corio is developing the sites together with Servtec, a leading power generation company which played a major role in the establishment of the country’s onshore wind industry. The Brazilian projects form part of its growing 30 GW global portfolio across the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe.
