Ceará: Brazil’s wind-power powerhouse

Ceará in Brazil’s Northeast is currently the largest producer of wind power in the country - the state has 18 wind farms with an installed capacity to generate 519 megawatts (MW), which corresponds to 56% of the nation’s production of wind-generated power. Besides these sites, there are currently 75 wind-farm projects to be implemented in the state in the coming years, which are expected to produce a total of 1,800 MW according to the government’s ‘Empresa de Pesquisa Energética’  (EPE - Energy Research Company) - enough to meet all the state’s demand for electrical energy. In early 2013 another six wind farms are scheduled to go into operation in the state, namely: Buriti (30 MW); Garças (30 MW); Caju-Coco (30 MW), Coqueiros (27 MW), Vento do Oeste (19.5 MW) and Lagoa Seca (20 MW).

A privileged geographical location, with a long and wide coastline and favorable climactic conditions, provide the necessary prerequisites for the success of investments in this new source for the generation of energy. According to an analysis conducted by the ‘Centro Brasileiro de Energia Eólica’ (Brazilian Wind Energy Center), strong winds are found along all of the Ceará shoreline with an average wind speed between 8.0 and 10.0 m/s, low turbulence and high persistence of direction in the northeast/south quadrant. All this constitutes the best characteristics in the world for capitalizing on wind power on a large scale. Besides wind energy, Ceará is also a pioneer in investment and research to draw energy from sunlight and the movement of the tides.

The wind farms of the state of Ceará are mainly concentrated in the cities of Aquiraz, Acaraú, Montada, Aracati, Beberibe, Camocim, Paracuru, São Gonçalo do Amarante and Fortaleza; all of which are coastal cities. The production of power from the wind, as in the production of solar-generated power, means lower risks and lower impact to nature since it uses a ‘renewable’ source in its natural state. Wind power does not contaminate, is inexhaustible and pulls the brakes on the depletion of fossil fuels, thus contributing to avoid emissions-related climate change.

Initial studies for the establishment of wind farms in Ceará began in the 1990s. At that time, the first computerized sensors, called ‘anemographs’, were installed to continuously record the direction (in degrees) and the instantaneous velocity of the wind (in m/s), as well as the total distance (in kilometers) traveled by winds in relation to the device and  the occurrence of bursts of wind (in m/s) .

The results of these measurements were used to determine local potential for the generation of wind power and the installation of the first wind turbines in Brazil. Located in the municipality of São Gonçalo do Amarante, the Taíba Wind Farm, with 5 MW of installed capacity, was the first to act as an independent producer of wind power in the country. In operation since January 1999, the Taíba power station consists of ten 500 kW wind turbines, generators, rotors with 40 meters in diameter, and towers 45 meters high.

It is also the first wind-power plant in the world built on sand dunes. Its deployment took about six months and it now produces 17.5 million kWh per year - enough to meet the electrical energy needs of a population of about 50 thousand people in a clean and renewable manner.

Thus, Ceará has freed itself from a situation of total energy dependence, in which it imported 100% of its energy needs from other states, to take the lead with 35% of the nation’s installed power. Presently, about 50% of the electricity consumed in the whole state is generated from the wind.

Wind energy potential has barely been tapped yet in the world - moreover in Brazil, where wind power accounts for only 0.4% of the country’s profile of energy sources. However, it is estimated that the country has a potential of at least 143GW, which corresponds to the production of ten Itaipu plants put together. Many industry analysts disagree with that assessment finding it very conservative. But, regardless of that, when Brazil finally begins to fully tap at the potential of wind power, the state of Ceará will certainly be at the forefront of this process.

For the construction of these wind farms, it is necessary - depending on the analysis and interpretation of state’s environmental agency - to conduct an ‘Estudo e Relatório de Impacto Ambiental’ (EIA / RIMA - Environmental Impact Study and Report) since establishing a facility of this type at an improper location can cause negative impacts, such as the death of birds and noise pollution from the wind turbine blades that produce a constant hum. Manufacturers of turbines claim, however, that the latest models do not make any more noise than the wind itself which makes the turbines turn, since they no longer use gears in the attachment of the turbine to the generator.  

Wind Farms in Operation in Ceará:

Eco Energy Wind Farm: established in the city of Beberibe (Ceará) with an installed capacity of 25.2 MW.

Canoa Quebrada Wind Farm - established in 2008, on the sand dunes of Canoa-Quebrada, with the support of the Federal (BNDES/IBAMA), State (SEMACE) and Municipal (PMA) Governments. The Canoa Quebrada Wind Farm is located in the city of Aracati-CE, with an installed capacity of 10.5 MW.

Paracuru Wind Farm - established in the city of Paracuru, 87 km from Fortaleza (CE), the wind farm has an installed capacity of 23.40 MW provided by 12 wind turbine towers. This capacity can provide for the electrical energy needs of around 384 thousand people. The wind farm is located on the road of access to Petrobras, km 8.5, in the district of São Pedro.

Lagoa do Mato Wind Farm - is located in the city of Aracati-CE, and has an installed capacity of 3.2 MW.

Praia Formosa Wind Energy Plant - located in the city of Camocim, the facility has an installed capacity of 104.4 MW. It consists of 50 wind turbines and went into operation in 2009.

Praia Mansa Wind Farm - located in Fortaleza, this wind farm has an installed capacity of 2.4 MW.

Taíba Wind Farm - located in the city of São Gonçalo do Amarante, it began producing in 1998 and has an installed capacity of 5 MW.

Prainha Wind Farm - Inaugurated in 1999 in the city of Aquiraz-CE, this wind farm has an installed capacity of 10 MW.

Praia do Morgado Wind Farm - located in the city of Acaraú on an area of 366 hectares. The wind farm has 19 wind turbines of  1.5 MW each, totaling an installed generating capacity of 28.8 MW

Volta de Rio Wind Farm - Occupies an area of 377 hectares in the city of Acaraú. The farm consists of 28 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 42.4 MW.

Enacel Wind Farm - has an installed capacity to produce 31.5 MW and is located in the city of Aracati.

Taíba-Albatroz Wind Farm - Established on the Taíba beach in the city of São Gonçalo do Amarante, the facility has 16.5 MW of installed capacity.

Bons Ventos Wind Farm - the plant, with an installed capacity of 50 MW, is located in the city of Aracati.

Canoa Quebrada UEE (Wind Power Plant) - with an installed capacity to generate 57 MW, the plant is located in the city of Aracati.

Foz do Rio Choró Wind Power Station - located in the city of Beberibe and has an installed capacity to generate 25.2 MW with its 12 wind turbines.

Mucuripe Wind Power Plant – Inaugurated in 2002 in Fortaleza, the plant has 4 (four) wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 2.4 MW.

Beberibe-Proinfa Wind Power Plant – Located on the Praia das Fontes, a beach in the city of Beberibe, the plant consists of 42 generator units totaling 25.6 MW of installed capacity.

Icaraizinho Wind Power Plant - Located in the city of Paracuru, this plant has an installed capacity of 54.0 MW.

In Ceará, a complete chain of production

Besides its listing as the largest single producer of wind power in Brazil, the state of Ceará is also where you’ll find the greatest concentration of the sector’s supply chain. The state is home to a large number of manufacturers of rotor blades, towers and assemblers of motor generators located near the wind farms. Among the advantages of this strategy is the lowering of the costs associated with logistics and transportation of components. In this regard (logistics), Ceará is second only to São Paulo - a state which does not produce wind power.

The costs of logistics in the sector are very high, causing manufacturers to seek to settle their businesses close to wind farms. The more wind there is, the greater the number of wind power plants and equipment manufacturers. Since the equipment involved is considerably large, the costs saved in logistics practically pay for the plant. A single tower for wind-power generation requires two trucks to be transported. Split into four parts, a single truck can only carry two parts of a tower at a time.

The installation of a wind farm with an installed capacity of 30MW requires the investment of at least R$ 110 million (US$ 55 million). A wind turbine can cost up to R$ 7 million (US$ 3.5 million), with the  supplier of the equipment assuming the responsibility for the assembly and technical assistance services throughout the contract agreement period which, on the average, is 20 years. It is up to the owner of the wind farm to supervise the installation and perform civil construction according to the specificities of the equipment and specifications of its manufacturer.

In negotiations between the buyer and the supplier, it is usually up to the latter to bear the costs of logistics involving the equipment his company manufactures, which winds up having an impact on the final price of the product. Thus, the manufacturer who is able to sell cheaper is the one who manufactures closer.

Brazilian rotor blades gain market share

In August 2012, companies ‘Suzlon Energia Eólica do Brasil’ and ‘Aeris Energia’ delivered the first rotor blade for the Suzlon model S95 wind turbine, of  the company’s S9X line of equipment, produced in the Pecém Industrial Complex in Ceará. The blade was shipped to one of the wind farms of ‘Queiroz Galvão Energias Renováveis’ (Queiroz Galvão Renewable Energy), under implementation on the state's coast, with 122 MW of generating capacity.

Weighing eight tons and measuring 46 meters in length, the blade was 100% manufactured by a local workforce originating mainly from the cities of Caucaia and São Gonçalo do Amarante in Ceará. The process involved transferring of technology by Suzlon via a team of engineers from India who accompanied all the stages of production.

The part was manufactured from the first of two casting molds measuring 53 meters in length and weighing 50 tons that were brought by Suzlon of India, and that are now a part of the Aeris assembly line. The S95 turbine is the company’s latest offering for moderate wind speeds and it can be installed onto towers with 80, 90, 100 or 120 meters in height.

To begin producing rotor blades in Brazil, Aeris invested over R$ 50 million (US$ 25 million) in leading-edge industrial facilities and it intends to surpass the mark of 800 MW in annual production in 2013. In this business endeavor, Suzlon participated with the molds, auxiliary machinery and technical support, totaling R$ 10 million (US$ 5 million).

Since it began operations in 2006, ‘Suzlon Energia Eólica do Brasil’ has established itself as a leading supplier of wind turbines in the country with 388.5 MW of installed capacity in the Brazilian market. The activities of Suzlon in the country includes the operation of 11 wind farms, 24 Monitoring Centers, their own production of electrical panels/boards and hubs, and the production of blades and concrete towers through a partnership with Brazilian suppliers, bolstering the nation’s supply chain, the process of transferring of technology and the development of the local workforce. The company's headquarters is located in the state of Ceará and it has offices in the city of São Paulo.

Aeris, in turn, is a Brazilian company founded in 2010 which began its operations in 2012. The company's business is to develop, manufacture, test and repair blades for wind turbines. The company’s first factory is located in the Pecém Industrial Complex in Ceará and, by the end of 2012, it had approximately 400 direct employees.