The advances of offshore wind in Brazil
The year of 2025 began with great news in the regulatory field of offshore wind farms: the legal and regulatory framework for offshore wind farms, known for generating energy from the force of winds in the ocean, is already in force.
Sanctioned in January, Law No. 15.097/25 regulates the exploration of wind farms in maritime and continental areas under the domain of the Union, such as inland waters, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf. As a result, the country has greater legal certainty for the advancement of offshore wind projects, which differ from onshore wind projects by the high speed and stability of offshore winds, free of barriers, such as mountains and buildings, for example.
This is an essential factor for the projects, which are many, to get off the ground. To give you an idea, by December 2024, there were the equivalent of 244 GW of 103 projects with a request to open an environmental licensing process at Ibama for the development of projects.
The expansion of the use of this energy source contributes to the Brazilian energy transition, the fight against climate change, the decarbonization of historically more polluting sectors, in addition to attracting investments and stimulating the economy. The expectation is that there will be the development of the supply chain, port and logistics, as well as the formation of renewable energy hubs.
According to a study by the World Bank, carried out in partnership with the Energy Research Company (EPE), offshore wind power can generate more than 516 thousand jobs by 2050 and bring an increase of at least R$ 900 billion to the Brazilian economy.
EDF Renewables and offshore
As a major player in the global energy transition, EDF Renewables brings its international expertise to Brazil, reflected in the country through potential studies and projects in the area.
In 2022, EDF Renewables signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to study the development and infrastructure of offshore wind farms in the North Fluminense region. The agreement provides for the use of the Port of Açu as a logistics and renewable energy hub, including enabling the production of low-carbon hydrogen in one of the largest port-industry complexes in Latin America.
In 2023, the three companies extended their partnership for the completion of an economic technical feasibility study for a hydrogen and derivatives plant that is now in the structuring phase of the project.
In the same year, the company signed another MoU with the Government of Rio Grande do Norte aimed at the development of offshore wind energy generation projects and studies for the potential production of low-carbon hydrogen in the state.
