(Florianópolis, Brazil/Oslo, Norway) Statkraft inaugurates the company’s largest wind farm outside Europe, the 519 MW Ventos de Santa Eugênia Wind Complex in Bahia, Brazil. It is among the first hybrid projects in Brazil once the planned solar farm of 163 MW is added to optimise energy production.
"The successful development of the Ventos de Santa Eugênia Wind Complex in Bahia marks a milestone for Statkraft in Brazil and shows our commitment to contribute to the green energy transition in the country. It places Statkraft among the ten largest wind companies in the most important energy market in Latin America with significant value creation potential for Statkraft," says Statkraft CEO Christian Rynning-Tønnesen, who attended the inauguration on February 6.
"Statkraft views Brazil as an exciting market with great potential and we have high ambitions. We have over time built a strong organisation, profitable operations and a considerable pipeline which gives us the necessary platform to further develop and operate renewables within several technologies. In addition, we have developed a market team in Brazil, positioning us well to understand the market complexity and the customer needs. We build on the hydropower expertise from Norway, while at the same time we apply insights from Brazil to other markets in which we operate. It’s a win-win," says Ingeborg Dårflot, Executive Vice President for Statkraft’s international business.
Expansive growth in Brazil in 2024
The Ventos de Santa Eugênia wind complex adds 519 MW to Statkraft’s capacity in Brazil. Including the recent acquisitions, assets under construction and other projects in the pipeline coming online, Statkraft will have increased its total generation capacity in Brazil fivefold in less than a year. In 2024, the company expects to have more than 2.200 MW of generation capacity in hydropower, solar, wind and battery technologies in the country.
"We are proud to be among the first companies to develop a hybrid renewable energy project to optimise energy production. This concept ensures better utilisation of shared infrastructure between solar and wind technologies and contributes to energy security through a more stable and balanced energy generation," says Fernando de Lapuerta, Country Manager for Statkraft Brazil.
Located in Uibaí and Ibipeba, in the Bahia region, the wind complex spans a comprehensive area of 489 hectares. The complex consists of 14 wind farms with 91 wind turbines, each with a generation capacity of 5.7 MW. Renewable energy production should reach 2,300 GWh per year, enough to supply 1.17 million Brazilian households. At peak, the project development employed almost 2,000 workers.
Construction of the Ventos de Santa Eugênia hybrid solar farm will start later this year. Using battery technology, the energy complex will have a combined capacity of 682 MW. Operations are planned in 2025.
"Good dialogue with the local communities located near the power plant and a firm determination to minimise environmental impacts has been a focus for us when developing this energy complex. We have implemented a wide range of social programs in the area and as a result, we have been able to measure a significant income increase in the local population. This shows that renewable projects can have relevant positive impacts locally, as well as contributing to achieving the national goals of increasing renewables," says Lapuerta.
About Statkraft
Statkraft is a leading company in hydropower internationally and Europe’s largest generator of renewable energy. The Group produces hydropower, wind power, solar power, gas-fired power and supplies district heating. Statkraft is a global company in energy market operations. Statkraft has 5,700 employees in 21 countries.
For further informationj, please contact:
Marte Lerberg Kopstad, International Media Relations Lead, Statkraft AS
Mobile: +47 99522026
E-mail: mlk@statkraft.com
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