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Brazil enacts offshore wind law, but excludes fossil fuel provisions
22/1/2025
News
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has signed into law new regulations governing the allocation and permitting of wind projects offshore Brazil. Meanwhile, the country added a record level of power generation capacity to its grid in 2024, with renewables accounting for more than 90%, according to the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL).
The new offshore wind law, covering both fixed bottom and floating wind projects, aims to ‘boost the national industry, create jobs and enhance energy security’, reports the government. The legislation mandates prior consultations with affected communities and includes detailed decommissioning and restoration requirements. Meanwhile, revenues from occupancy fees and energy production will be distributed across federal, state, and local governments, with investments expected to prioritise research and sustainable development.
While Brazil is a leader in onshore wind energy, ranking sixth globally, according to the government, it has yet to venture offshore ‘due to the absence of established regulations’. The new law is expected to rectify this.
Notably, President da Silva vetoed amendments in the bill proposing fossil fuel subsidies, including for coal and gas-fired power plants. These were reported to be ‘more polluting, expensive and inefficient energy matrices’ while changes to tariff adjustment indices were deemed ‘less favourable to the public’.
Record rate of power generation in 2024
In other news, Brazil’s National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) reports that the country’s installed power generation capacity increased by a record 10.9 GW in 2024, exceeding the government target of 10.1 GW. As a result, Brazil reached nearly 209 GW of installed capacity connected to the grid last year, of which nearly 85% was considered to be renewables.
For 2024, solar farms contributed the largest share of new generation capacity, 5.6 GW, with 147 new facilities connected to the grid. Wind power accounted for the second largest share, with 121 new wind farms adding 4.3 GW of capacity. Hydroelectric capacity increased by 56 MW from 11 new plants. The country’s thermoelectric capacity also posted modest gains, with 22 new plants adding 907 MW of capacity.
ANEEL forecasts some 9.37 GW of new capacity in 2025, including 3.6 GW of solar, 2.4 GW of thermoelectric and 2.34 GW of wind power.