Petrobras, WEG partner up to build 7 MW onshore wind turbine
Petrobras has signed a contract with WEG, a Brazilian electronics company active worldwide, to design a wind turbine in Brazil, the state-controlled oil giant reported Wednesday (Sep. 13).
According to Petrobras, the onshore wind turbine will have a capacity of seven megawatts (MW) and will be the first of its size to be manufactured in Brazil. For this project, which is already in progress, the company will invest BRL 130 million.
The contract outlines the development of technology to manufacture the components and the construction of a prototype with technical and commercial benefits for Petrobras. WEG expects the equipment to start being produced serially in 2025. The turbine will be 220 meters high from the ground to the tip of the blade and will weigh 1,830 tons.
“The partnership with WEG includes the development of the country’s largest wind turbine, with a capacity of 7 MW, enough to supply a city of 16,880 inhabitants on its own,” said Petrobras CEO Jean Paul Prates during WindPower, an event held at the São Paulo Expo.
The project, he added, represents a milestone for the oil giant as it should “increase its knowledge of wind energy technology and contribute to boosting Brazil’s energy transition in Brazil in partnership with a leading company in innovation for solutions in energy efficiency, renewable energies, and electric mobility.”
WEG’s Executive Director Harry Schmelzer Jr noted that the project will be crucial for wind energy investment in Brazil and will also be a “milestone for WEG.”
In May this year, Petrobras’s partner arranged a BRL 59 million loan with Brazil’s social development bank BNDES for the creation of this new wind turbine. According to the bank, the high-powered equipment will be the largest in operation in the Brazilian market and help reduce total investments for new wind farms and slash carbon emissions.
