The first 3MW wind turbine at Voltalia’s Areia Branca wind farm in Brazil’s north eastern state of Rio Grande has now started to generate electricity for the Brazilian national grid. Three additional turbines will be tested shortly with five more about to receive their nacelles, the covers for the turbines working parts.
Acciona, the turbine provider, is expected to meet the deadline to progressively launch the remaining 90MW by the end of the year with additional wind farms currently under construction. These include the Sao Miguel do Gostoso wind complex, which is expected to start operating in the second half of 2015, and the 93-megawatt Vamcruz project, which is predicted to start in the first half of 2016.
Construction of Areia Branca began in August 2013 and in May 2014 the project was supported by a loan from the Brazilian Development Bank totalling 309.4 million reais ($128.1 million).
“This is a major step in the company’s growth” said Sébastien Clerc, Voltalia’s CEO. “It demonstrates the firm’s capacity to develop, finance, build and start its Brazilian plants within the deadlines. It gives us extra comfort with regard to our ambitions in Brazil.”
Voltalia was established in Brazil in 2006 and the company is now among the top five auction winners in the wind energy competitive system that was set up in the country in 2009. The company develops and operates multi-energy projects incorporating wind, solar, hydro and biomass. Besides Brazil, the company also has a presence in France, Greece and in French Guiana.
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