Development of wind energy in Brazil and around the world

Clean and sustainable wind power is gaining in importance in Brazil and around the world. It ranks third in the Brazilian power grid, after only hydro and thermal resources.

Spain, Germany and Denmark are other countries that lead the way in this sector. Technological innovations in recent years do not stop accelerating the conversion of wind to electricity. to know more about The origins and future of wind energy.

Right now, winds currently produce 9.5% of all the electricity we consume. This value guarantees us Brazilians the tenth place in the world wind energy use ranking. Our installed capacity, mainly in the Northeast and South, allows 350 GW of electricity generation.

When did wind energy originate?

The use of wind as an energy source is not new to humanity. Since ancient times, windmills and windmills have been used as a way to exploit air movement in favor of commercial activities.

Grinding grain, drying wetlands, and sailing boats are some examples of ancient applications of this technology. Their use lasted for centuries and was perfected mainly in medieval Europe.

In the United States at the end of the 18th century, technology took another step. Some adaptations have allowed it to be used to pump water and provide a drinking fountain system for large livestock pastures.

But in 1888, American inventor Charles Bruch built the first wind rose in the same country that could convert wind into electricity. The production plant, although small – and with a power of 12 kW – remained in operation for 20 years.

Around the same time, on the other side of the Atlantic, Europeans began government programs for wind development. About 70 turbines with an average power of 25 kW were built across the continent.

When the Russians arrived on the scene, the technology changed completely. They developed the first large wind turbines capable of generating up to 100 kW. These new pieces of equipment were connected to the country’s electricity grid and from then on, wind power was permanent.

Wind energy in Brazil and the world

In the 1970s, during the first Oil Shock, prices for this fuel skyrocketed in the world market. Faced with entrenched economic chaos, the great powers began to invest more diligently in the development of alternative sources.

It was then wind energy is on the agenda again. In Brazil, in 1979 Eletrobras prepared a map of the wind potential in the region.

Another important milestone was the establishment of an offshore facility in the middle of the sea in 1991. Such industrial facilities also make it possible to benefit from strong ocean winds and increase the production capacity of many countries.

The following year, the first turbine was opened in Brazil, in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago. But over the next decade, little progress was made at the national level, mainly due to the high cost of the technology.

In 2001 alone, with the energy crisis, Proeólica was established with the goal of contracting 1,050 MW installed in the national territory. In 2003, the program was replaced by Proinfa, which continued the financing.

What can we expect from the future?

Worldwide efforts to slow global warming point in the direction of carbon neutrality. Environmentalists want the target to be reached by 2050, and investment in wind energy is essential to reach this target.

Despite the resistance of major economies such as China and the United States, this technology is undoubtedly on the agenda of scientific research in both countries.

Here in Brazil, the situation is no different. The country has much more renewable energy matrices than the average of industrialized countries, but efforts to protect nature are still lacking.

Wind power is predicted to continue to grow in the coming years, making itself the third main source of electricity in the country, followed by space for the installation of other technologies such as solar panels. The energy of the winds, known since ancient times, now shows the way to the future.