Brazilian Wind Power Cheaper than Gas There have been two important shifts in the economics of power production in Brazil, according to Mauricio Tolmasquim, president of EPE, the Brazilian national energy agency. Wind can compete directly with natural gas and the price of wind projects is showing a steady downward trajectory. In August EPE had announced the winning bid prices in an auction to provide 1.5GW of wind capacity to come online in 2014. Developers of 44 wind farms bid an average of BRZ$99.58 (US$62) per MWh - below the average price for the two natural gas projects (BRZ$103.26), and a hydro project (BRZ$102). Average bids for four biomass plants burning bagasse, the waste from sugar cane processing, were higher again (BRZ$102.41 per MWh). The bids for wind projects were 24% lower than in a similar auction the year before.
There have been two important shifts in the economics of power production in Brazil, according to Mauricio Tolmasquim, president of EPE, the Brazilian national energy agency. Wind can compete directly with natural gas and the price of wind projects is showing a steady downward trajectory.
In August EPE had announced the winning bid prices in an auction to provide 1.5GW of wind capacity to come online in 2014. Developers of 44 wind farms bid an average of BRZ$99.58 (US$62) per MWh - below the average price for the two natural gas projects (BRZ$103.26), and a hydro project (BRZ$102). Average bids for four biomass plants burning bagasse, the waste from sugar cane processing, were higher again (BRZ$102.41 per MWh). The bids for wind projects were 24% lower than in a similar auction the year before.
But it's noisy! and ugly! and intermittent! And subsidized. Or something. Wind power
the first one horned goat to cross the Andes
Most of the hidden one horns i've been able to contact claim they are just laying low, as they were warned by their English cousins.
I had a one horned goat cheese pizza with flaming caipirinha arugula yesterday, sent by my brothers thru the time tunnel, and i'm still flying. "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
What's also interesting is that a number of European companies have been there since long before the wind boom. Enercon already has its own factory there (others are building now), and GE has been making blades there since the late 90s (well ok, since before there was GE wind). "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
