Equinor and Petrobras expand offshore wind cooperation

Petrobras and Equinor have entered into a letter of intent expanding their collaboration to include an investigation into the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of seven offshore wind projects off the coast of Brazil, according to a press release.

The agreement runs until 2028, and the seven projects are said to have the capacity to produce up to 14.5 gigawatts.

The agreement reached at the CERA conference is the result of collaboration between the two parties in 2018, expanding scope beyond the originally planned Aracatu I and II wind farm options (located on the coastal border between the states of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo).

– Pioneering

In addition, the new agreement stipulates the feasibility of wind farms Mangara (on the coast of Piauí), Ibitucatu (coast of Ceará), Colibri (on the coastal border between Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará), and Otuba and Ibitoaso (both on the coast of Rio Grande do Sul) – what A total of seven projects – to be investigated.

– This agreement will pioneer clean and renewable energy in Brazil by exploiting our country’s great offshore wind potential and accelerating development towards the green transition. We will combine our world-famous overseas technology innovation capability and experience from the Brazilian energy market with Equinor’s expertise from offshore wind projects in several countries,” says Petrobras CEO Jean Paul Prates in a comment.

However, Brits stresses that these are investigations in the first place, and that future investments depend on in-depth analyzes to assess whether projects are feasible – as well as regulatory changes that make it easier to obtain approvals.

core area

Since 2001, Brazil has developed into one of Equinor’s core areas. The oil and gas portfolio includes licenses under development and production, including Bacalhau in the Santos Basin and Peregrino in the Campos Basin.

On the renewable energy front, Equinor holds shares in the Scantec-operated Apodi solar power plant (162 MW), which came into production in 2018. Last year, construction began on the Mendubim (531 MW) solar project, which is being implemented in partnership with Scatec and Hydro Rein are scheduled to complete production in 2024.