On Wednesday, August 17, the Senate Infrastructure Services Committee approved a bill establishing a regulatory framework for offshore energy generation—including wind, solar, or tidal—in Brazil's open seas, lagoons, and other bodies of water. The Bill (PL) 576/2021 regulates authorizations for harnessing offshore energy potential. Authored by Senator Jean Paul Prates (PT-RN), the bill was approved in a final vote by the committee and will now proceed to the Chamber of Deputies for review.
The offshore legal framework aims to provide legal certainty to enable long-term investment.
Energy Potential
Hydropower is currently Brazil's primary energy source. According to Jean Paul Prates, diversifying the energy mix is essential to increase the energy security of the national electricity grid. Furthermore, he highlights that the offshore energy market could make the country more attractive and competitive in the coming years, thanks to favorable climate conditions and low-cost operating environments.
“This project is not just about offshore wind energy; it addresses the ownership and use of the territorial sea, the continental shelf, the exclusive economic zone, and other internal bodies of water—including lagoons, lakes, and water surfaces—for energy generation. I often say that this bill is ready for whatever might be invented next using the power of the sea, waves, and offshore winds,” Prates explains.
The senator emphasizes that the immediate benefit is for offshore wind energy, meaning electricity generated from wind at sea. “We needed a legal framework for this because it involves a whole set of public assets where total legal certainty is required for developers to make investments,” he adds.
Today, several wind projects already have studies underway, and the numbers are growing. In August 2021, a report from Ibama indicated 23 offshore wind projects undergoing licensing, totaling nearly 50 GW of installed capacity. Of this total, at least 12 had overlapping areas. A few months later, in January 2022, Ibama updated the data, showing 37 projects under review, with a total installed capacity exceeding 80 GW and at least 25 areas with some level of overlap.
Via CicloVivo.
This article was written by CicloVivo. The translation is powered by AI.
