Petrobras signs memorandum of understanding for offshore wind project in RN

On Monday (April 29), Petrobras and the government of Rio Grande do Norte signed a Memorandum of Understanding that provides for studies on the feasibility of implementing a pilot offshore wind project in the state. The memorandum foresees that Rio Grande do Norte will promote actions such as aligning the project with state programmes and policies, supporting the processes needed for studies and research for the development and implementation of the project and promoting actions to improve the region where the pilot project will be implemented. Petrobras will provide studies on the possible environmental and social impacts resulting from the project's installation, working in synergy to make the pilot project viable.

"Petrobras has been establishing partnerships with institutions and companies to acquire knowledge and training in the offshore wind segment, in order to evaluate future projects and opportunities in this segment. Rio Grande do Norte has a natural vocation, an excellent wind regime for offshore wind projects and we believe that the state's vocation should be capitalised on," said Petrobras president Jean Paul Prates.

Petrobras is currently the company with the greatest potential in offshore wind generation projects under study in the country in terms of capacity filed with Ibama, as well as investing in research and development to make innovative offshore wind projects viable. The company has requested the start of the licensing process for projects in 10 areas with a total potential of 23 GW, seven of which are in the Northeast, totalling 14.3 GW of capacity, as well as carrying out studies in seven areas in partnership with Equinor, totalling a further 14.5 GW of total potential.

The company is conducting the largest wind mapping campaign in Brazil. Last year, the company completed a decade of offshore wind measurements and is intensifying measurement campaigns in some locations in the Brazilian sea, which are fundamental for assessing the technical feasibility of future offshore wind energy installations. This is the case, for example, with six platforms located in shallow waters off the coasts of the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará and Espírito Santo.