Photo: Grupo Oleoplan
The state government inaugurated a wind farm in the region of Águas Claras, in Viamão, Rio Grande do Sul. The investment of BRL 330 millionin Complexo Eólico Pontal began in 2012 and was held by Enerplan.
In all, 25 wind turbines generate enough energy to supply 140,000 homes. The power is transferred to the substation named Viamão 3, run by CEEE. From there, it can supply homes all over the country. The electricity is auctioned to power companies.
According to the president of Grupo Oleoplan, Irineu Boff, this investment of BRL 330 million maybe increased to BRL 600 million. “It would be spent on increasing the installed capacity, which iscurrently at around 60 megawatts. So, we already have farms licensed for an additional 40 megawatts, which would complete this BRL 600 million”, he explains.
Governor José Ivo Sartori attended the inauguration and commented on the benefits of clean energy: “This completes a cycle wherein Rio Grande do Sul is making great advances in renewable energy. And we will soon be taking the path towards solar energy and biomass, which are fundamental renewable energy resources and help to reduce the impact on the environment. We will strive together to facilitate this process”.
Enerplan expects to participate in its first electricity auction as early as December. According to the company, maintaining the wind farm entails the efforts of around 30 people.