Wind Power News: Brazil
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Latin American land owners are fighting to keep power lines out
Gilson Denardin always hated the towering transmission lines crisscrossing his farm in northeastern Brazil. So when he caught wind of plans to put up two more sets of wires, he decided to put up a fight. “It’s awful,” said the owner of 7,400 acres of farmland in Brazil’s Northeast. “My land loses its value with so many power lines.” Denardin is leading a local movement to force power companies to pay farmers more for their trouble, and he’s not alone . . . Complete story »
‘This noise that never stops’: Wind farms come to Brazil’s Atlantic coast
GALINHOS, Brazil – At night, blinking red dots fill the sky, and the sound of whooshing rotating blades is everywhere – constant reminders of the wind’s abundant presence here on Brazil’s Atlantic coast and its harvesting as a natural resource. At daybreak, towers rising nearly 400 feet peek out high above the canopy of palm trees, like gigantic dandelions. On this part of the Atlantic coast, the wind blows constantly and in one direction consistently, giving Brazil a steady stream for energy . . . Complete story »
Brazil cancels 557.4MW of solar and wind in de-contraction auction
Brazil’s energy agency ANEEL has cancelled nine solar projects totalling 249.7MW of capacity and 16 wind farms with a combined capacity of 307.7MW in its first ever de-contraction auction. The auction took place due to a high number of projects being contracted in Brazil’s first reserve energy auctions between 2014 and 2015 remaining unbuilt and becoming idle. This was partly the result of inexperienced players partaking in the initial auction. The de-contraction will allow the government to make more accurate . . . Complete story »
Suzlon to exit Brazil
Indian turbine manufacturer Suzlon has filed for voluntary liquidation of its Brazilian operations, after 11 years in the country. The firm said the move was “a consequence of multiple factors that are unique to Brazil”. A company spokesperson said: “We believe that this is a responsible decision for the benefit of long-term sustainability of the company and its shareholders.” Suzlon has around 740MW of wind capacity installed in Brazil, having entered the country in 2006. The manufacturer said the decision . . . Complete story »
Vestas turbine catches fire at 27 MW wind farm in Brazil
Vestas has confirmed that the nacelle of a V112-3.0 MW turbine caught fire at the 27 MW Xangri-la site, in the southern Brazilian Rio Grande do Sul state, on Saturday, Oct. 15. According to a spokesperson for the manufacturer, no injuries or other material damage occurred as a result of the fire. “Vestas is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire,” says the spokesperson. “We have already begun examining data from the turbine, and a team . . . Complete story »
Vestas probes Brazil blaze; Danes investigate nacelle fire on V112 3MW unit at Xangri-la project
The nacelle of a Vestas V112 3MW turbine caught fire on 15 October at the 27MW Xangri-la wind farm in the southern Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil. A spokesman for the Danish manufacturer said no injuries or other material damage occurred as a result of the fire. “Vestas is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire,” he said. “We have already begun examining data from the turbine, and a team of experts will soon . . . Complete story »
Eight Impsa turbines blown down in Brazil
Investigations are ongoing at utility Eletrobras’s 46MW Cerro Chato IV-VI wind complex in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul following the collapse of eight Impsa turbines. he incident was caused by a freak storm hitting Santana do Livramento district on the afternoon of 22 December, with gusts reaching 250 kilometres per hour, according to an Eletrosul press statement, which appears to be its only public comment on the incident. Neither Impsa nor Electrobras would respond to questions from . . . Complete story »
Ventania derruba torre de energia eólica em Santana do Livramento, RS
O temporal que atingiu o Rio Grande do Sul na tarde de sábado (20) e madrugada de domingo (21) deixou um rastro de destruição em várias regiões do estado. Em Santana do Livramento, na fronteira com o Uruguai, as rajadas de vento foram tão fortes que derrubaram oito torres de energia eólica do parque da Eletrosul. Ninguém ficou ferido. Segundo a Defesa Civil de Santana do Livramento, as rajadas de vento ultrapassaram os 120 km/h no município. Em Porto . . . Complete story »
Forte tempestade derruba 8 aerogeradores em parque eólico no Rio Grande do Sul
[A storm that hit Rio Grande Do Sul with winds up to 250 km/h downed eight wind turbines at the Eletrosul Cerro Chato wind energy facility.] Uma tempestade que atingiu o Rio Grande do Sul com ventos de de 250 km/h – segundo dados dos institutos de meteorologia da região – na noite do último sábado (20/12) derrubou oito turbinas eólicas no Complexo Eólico Cerro Chato da Eletrosul, em Santana do Livramento, cidade a 492 quilômetros de Porto Alegre. Em . . . Complete story »
Bankruptcy decision reversed for Impsa subsidiary
A Brazilian court has reversed the bankruptcy of Wind Power Energy SA (WPE), a subsidiary of Argentinian power firm Impsa, imposed last week due to the apparent failure to pay money it owed. The court of Pernambuco state had previously declared the company bankrupt after two Brazilian firms, Libra Terminal Valongo and Libra Terminais, claimed an unpaid debt owed to them of BRL 10.6 million ($4.7 million). However, Impsa said that the reversal of the judgment was made because there . . . Complete story »
