Norwegian energy company Statkraft has inaugurated the 519MW Ventos de Santa Eugênia wind complex in Bahia, Brazil.
The newly inaugurated project is the company’s largest wind complex outside Europe.
It will also be Brazil's first hybrid project once a 163MW solar farm is integrated for optimised energy generation.
Located in the Uibaí and Ibipeba areas of the Bahia region, the wind complex spans 489 hectares. It comprises 14 wind farms with 91 turbines, each with 5.7MW of power-generating capacity.
The renewable energy output will reach 2,300 gigawatt-hours annually, sufficient to power 1.17 million Brazilian households.
During its peak construction phase, the project employed 2,000 workers.
Construction of the accompanying hybrid solar farm at the Ventos de Santa Eugênia site is scheduled to commence later in 2024.
With the addition of battery technology, the combined capacity of the energy complex will reach 682MW, with operations set to begin in 2025.
Statkraft CEO Christian Rynning-Tønnesen stated: “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.”
With recent acquisitions, assets under construction and upcoming projects, the company's total generation capacity in Brazil will increase fivefold in less than a year.
In 2024, Statkraft will operate 2.2GW of renewable capacity across hydropower, solar, wind and battery technologies in the country.
Statkraft international business executive vice-president Ingeborg Dårflot stated: “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.”
In August 2023, the company agreed to buy two operational Brazilian wind complexes with 260MW of capacity from EDP Renováveis through its Brazilian subsidiary Statkraft Energias Renováveis.
These complexes, named Jerusalém and Boqueirão, are located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte and consist of 62 turbines.
In early February 2024, Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust, a subsidiary of Octopus Energy, acquired a 199MW solar complex near Dublin, Ireland, from Statkraft Ireland for €160m ($172.5m).
