Wind Generates 30% of Energy in the Northeast

09/25/2015 - 10h18

Driven by a reduction in costs and the prolonged drought, the amount of wind power generated in the Northeast reached its record last August and came close to matching numbers for traditional sources, such as hydroelectric and thermal.

In the last month, wind turbines were responsible for 30.6 percent of all of the energy produced in the region –the greatest contribution registered to date by the ONS (National Electric System Operator). During the same period, thermal sources generated 35.7 percent and hydroelectric, 33.7 percent.

For comparison, last year, the greatest wind power contribution in the region was 16.8 percent in October.

The weight of wind power is greatest in the Northeast due to the quality of the winds in the region: constant, unidirectional and high velocity.

As a result, the majority of the 266 plants in operation in the country are concentrated in that region, in states such as Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba and Pernambuco.

Wind power has been growing at a rapid pace in the country since 2009, when the first auction in the sector was realized. The installed capacity increased from 601 MW that year to 2,514 MW, in 2012, and the current 6,647 MW.

Today, wind power is the country's fourth major energy source and the second most affordable, with an average price of R$ 180 (US$ 46) per MWh. 57 power plants were installed this year alone.

One of the factors that reinforced the presence of wind energy was the prolonged drought of recent years, which led to a drop in hydroelectric reservoir levels and reduced energy production compared to previous years.

Translated by SUGHEY RAMIREZ

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	Divulgação
	The weight of wind power is greatest in the Northeast due to the quality of the winds: constant, unidirectional and high velocity