Petrobras and Equinor start studies for a 4 GW offshore wind project (Brazil)

Petrobras is evaluating the environmental feasibility of building a 4 GW offshore wind project in Aracatu, in the Campos basin off Brazil, in partnership with Equinor. The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2018 and Equinor applied in 2020 for a license from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) to develop two offshore wind projects of 2 GW each. The wind project will be installed about 20 km from the coast, at depths of between 15 and 35 meters, and comprise 320 wind turbines, 160 per phase, each with a nominal capacity of 12 MW

Brazil has currently no offshore wind capacity. According to Brazil's Energy Research Office (EPE), the country has 700 GW of untackled offshore wind potential. In January 2022, Brazil issued a presidential decree regulating the use of physical spaces and national resources within the country’s inland waters, the territorial sea, the offshore exclusive economic zone, and the continental shelf for the development of offshore wind projects. In addition, the decree defines how the procedures to establish an offshore project must be conducted, where the requests can be submitted and what steps companies must follow to carry out their projects. The country's Ministry of Mines and Energy will be tasked with carrying out the necessary studies, selecting the offshore wind zones, as well as organising subsequent auctions.