Sergipe, in Brazil’s Northeast, up to 2011, should be producing enough wind energy to supply a city of 200,000 inhabitants. The announcement was made by the president of Energias Renováveis (Energen), Joaquim Ferreira. According to him, the wind farm will be built in the city of Barra dos Coqueiros and the production capacity should be 30 Megawatts (MW).
The plot of land where the farm will be set up will be granted due to a partnership involving the Economic Development, Science and Technology and Tourism Secretariat (Sedetec) – through the Sergipe State Company for Industrial Development and Mineral Resources (Codise) – and Energen.
Also participating to make possible the project is a 160 million Brazilian real (US$ 92 million) financing plan by the Bank of the Northeast, as well as exemption of the Services Rendered Tax (ISS) and price guarantees on the private market.
The Barra dos Coqueiros Wind Farm should include 15 towers at heights of 145 meters. The estimate is for the creation of 200 direct jobs during construction, which is forecasted for completion in May 2011.
Biodiesel Expansion
Rodrigo Rodrigues, the coordinator of the Interministerial Executive Committee for Biodiesel, said that the Brazilian government is interested in expanding the percentage of biodiesel in regular diesel sold at fuel stations. He pointed out, however, that this percentage may only be expanded compulsorily through a law.
Starting this month, the diesel sold at gas stations should have 5% of its formula composed of biodiesel, which means anticipating a target that had initially been forecasted for 2013. “With this increase, around 2.3 billion liters of biodiesel should be used in Brazilian vehicles,” said Rodrigues.
“Biodiesel is growing faster than ethanol in its first years. But we need to be careful to introduce it in a sustainable manner,” said the coordinator, after participating in the 3rd Congress of the Brazilian Technology Network.
According to the executive, who is the deputy head for Analysis and Follow-Up of Government Policy in the Cabinet of the Chief of Staff, “there is interest by the government and by industrial sectors connected to production of vegetable oils in further expanding the percentage of biodiesel mixed into diesel in Brazil in a compulsory manner.”
The Brazilian Biodiesel Union (Ubrabio) has informed that it is possible to reach a total of 10% by 2015. Rodrigues does not want to stipulate a date for these increases. According to him, vehicle producers should push the Legislative aiming at expansion of more than the 5% scheduled to start being used this January.
