The Brazilian government has advanced its plan to develop a regulatory framework for planning and permitting offshore wind projects. The country’s National Energy Policy Council (CNPE) has approved a resolution to establish the Offshore Wind Working Group (GT-EO).
Under the coordination of the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), the Offshore Wind Working Group will propose necessary measures for the regulation and application of the Offshore Wind Law, enacted in January 2025, as stated in a press release from the Brazilian government on October 1.
GT-EO will include representatives from 23 institutions and may also invite members from the private sector and civil society.
The group aims to establish a federal infra-legal framework covering regulations like prior location definition, rules for requesting a Declaration of Prior Interference (DPI), technical and financial qualifications, and sanctions for non-compliance.
Planned phased deliveries include technical studies on offshore wind energy coexistence with fishing activities, navigation safety, port requirements, digitizing processes, and creating a Single Offshore Area Management Portal.
Brazil’s offshore wind generation potential is estimated at over 1,200 GW. Studies show that in coastal areas with water depths up to 50 meters and winds at 100 meters high, there are 697 GW of usable capacity.
Currently, Brazil’s Institute for the Environment and Natural Resources (IBAMA) is reviewing 104 environmental licensing requests for offshore wind projects. Earlier this year, IBAMA issued the country’s first preliminary investigation license for a pilot offshore wind farm developed by the SENAI Institute of Innovation in Renewable Energy (ISI-ER).
The Ministry of Mines and Energy estimates that expanding offshore wind in Brazil could generate up to 516,000 full-time jobs by 2050 and contribute approximately BRL 902 billion (around EUR 145 billion) to the country’s GDP in the same period.
Original Story at www.offshorewind.biz