Spain-based renewable energy giant Iberdrola said Friday that its Brazilian subsidiary Neoenergia had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Rio Grande do Norte to develop studies for offshore wind development in the state's coastal region.
The agreement also includes mutual cooperation and exchange actions involving socioeconomic, environmental, technical and regulatory aspects.
“This is another partnership that is in line with Neoenergia's strategy. We are protagonists of the energy transition in Brazil. We believe that new business opportunities are guided by decarbonization, innovation and the development of new technologies to generate clean, safe and reliable energy,” said Eduardo Capelastegui, CEO of Neoenergia.
According to Capelastegui, the first step toward the expansion of Brazil's offshore wind energy market is the development of a regulatory framework for the new segment.
“This is fundamental for the development of the industrial chain with added value and the valuation of the socio-environmental attributes of the source. We also consider that the framework will be important for legal and regulatory certainty and predictability for investors," he said.
The governor of Rio Grande do Norte, Fátima Bezerra, said:"It has always been our intention to keep Rio Grande do Norte in the Brazilian leadership in the production of clean energy, and this will happen through mutual interests, such as what the Neoenergia Group has demonstrated through the exchange of information and technical missions involving Neoenergia teams and those of the State Government. Therefore, this memorandum will be very important for us to segment these conversations, especially for the development of offshore projects, in addition to logistical support for port infrastructure."
This is the fourth signing of a memorandum of understanding carried out by Neoenergia for the development of offshore wind projects in the country, so far.
The company is conducting studies to assess the feasibility of developing offshore wind projects in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, and Ceará.