The “strong wind” season in northeast Brazil has caused wind power production to set unprecedented production records in 2020. In the first week of August alone, the National Electric System Operator (ONS) recorded three peaks in the average power generation in the wind farm region.
The most recent was on August 6, when wind turbines reached 9,049 MW on average. This capacity is enough to supply the equivalent of 94.4% of the electricity demand in the nine northeastern states, for example. The rest of the exceptional actions were recorded on the 5th, with an average wind power generation of 8,854 MW, and on the 2nd, 8,780 MW. When wind power generation peaks are reached, the states of the region become less dependent on other energy sources, such as hydro and thermal, becoming self-sufficient.
Neoenergia, Cosern’s parent company, concentrates approximately 5% of wind generation in the Northeast with 44 wind farms, 17 of which are in operation in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Bahía and Paraíba with an installed capacity of 516 MW ( enough to supply more than 1.1 million homes) and another 27 under construction in Piauí, Paraíba and Bahía.
“By 2022, our installed generation capacity with the entry into operation of these new parks will be 1.5 GW, enough to cover the consumption of 10 million people – or the population of a country like Portugal, for example,” he explains. Diogo Mariga, Neoenergia Renewable Operation and Maintenance Superintendent.
“Wind is a clean and renewable source of energy, which does not emit pollutants in its operation. In this way, the strong wind season like the one we are experiencing in the Northeast in 2020 potentiates the benefits of wind energy to further reduce the emission of greenhouse gases ”, recalls Mariga.
Neoenergia’s investment in wind power generation is in line with Iberdrola’s commitment to contribute to the fight against climate change. Renewable, hydroelectric and wind sources represent 86.8% of energy generation at Neoenergia. In 2022, this figure should reach 90%, exceeding the Brazilian profile. With this, the company is aligned with the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) provided by the United Nations (UN).
Solar radiation on land, the difference in temperature between the equator and the tropics, the temperature of the ocean waters and the relief of the regions are some of the factors that contribute to the increase in the intensity and quality of the winds that blow. the Northeast and that result in a better use of wind power generation.
Specifically in the region, the best quality of the wind in terms of direction, speed and density is also influenced by the climatic phenomenon called El Niño. It is characterized by the warmer temperatures of the Equatorial Pacific Ocean – which generates an improvement in wind generation, since during these periods there is less rainfall in the region, favoring the production of energy through the winds.
NEOENERGIA: a publicly traded company (NEO3) listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange. Part of the Spanish group Iberdrola, the company has been operating in Brazil since 1997 and is currently one of the leaders in the country’s electricity sector. Present in 18 states, its businesses are divided into the areas of generation, transmission, distribution and marketing. Its distributors, Coelba (BA), Celpe (PE), Cosern (RN) and Elektro (SP), serve more than 14 million customers, equivalent to a population of more than 34 million people.
Neoenergia has 4 GW in generation, 88% of which is renewable energy, and is implementing another 1 GW with the construction of new wind farms. In transmission, there are 685.2 km of lines in operation and 4,862 km under construction. Through the Neoenergia Institute, it fosters sustainable development through socio-environmental actions and thus contributes to improving the quality of life in the communities where the company operates, especially the most vulnerable people, always seeking sustainable development.
