Brazil
THE NORDEX GROUP IN BRAZIL
The Nordex Group in Brazil
August 2023
MORE THAN 3.3 MW
COMMISSIONED
MORE THAN 4.8 GW
CONTRACTED
MORE THAN 1200
EMPLOYEES
Brazil offers excellent wind conditions, with wind energy now one of the country’s most important sources of energy. The Brazilian Association of Wind Energy and New Technologies ABEEólica announced that the installed capacity in Brazil had reached more than 22 GW (as of June 2023). This represents a significant rise in recent years and has seen the wind energy sector become an increasingly important element of the Brazilian electricity market. After hydroelectric power, wind energy is now the second-largest component of the Brazilian electricity generation mix, placing the largest country in South America among the global leaders in the field of renewable energy.
Geographical Footprint
The Nordex Group has been active on the Brazilian market since 2013, with its headquarters situated in the commercial capital, São Paulo. Since entering the market, the company has more than 3.3 GW commossioned, and has in total more than 4.8 GW sold. The Nordex Group assembles the nacelles and produces concrete towers for its turbines at its own factories. Almost the entire Nordex’ concrete tower is sourced locally, reducing high transportation costs associated with remote production and creating around 250 jobs per concrete tower plant. In addition to the opportunities for local economic development, the carbon footprint of Nordex’ concrete towers is 40% lower compared to a steel tower of the same height. The company also utilizes rotor blades manufactured locally within Brazil. This makes it possible to meet local value-creation requirements, which, in turn, offer better financing options for clients.
Wind has been our business since 1985 with over 30 subsidiaries, we are close to our customers around the globe – Brazil has been part of our business since 2013.
A wind turbine can generate significantly more electricity under Brazilian conditions than in many other countries. In fact, due to the excellent wind conditions, the average capacity factor of a wind power station in Brazil can exceed 50 percent – significantly above the global average. By way of comparison, in other countries, this figure is as low as 25 percent (Source: ABEEólica). Medium wind speeds, which are highly favorable for the generation of onshore wind energy, can be found in the northeast region of Brazil in particular, where the terrain by the coast is flat. In addition, the interior of the country and its plateaus likewise offer significant potential for large-scale projects. As the market shifts towards larger rotors with higher towers, the Group offers competitive turbines to their Brazilian customers in the form of the Delta4000 series. This includes the N163/5.X, which features a rotor diameter of 163 meters with a swept area in excess of 20,000m², providing high sales potential and of which the Nordex Group has already sold 2403.3 MW in Brazil alone. The N163 turbines in the Delta4000 series feature different operating modes, thus offering maximum flexibility within the 5 MW range. Their operation can be optimized in line with various customer-specific requirements, such as annual yield, service life, and noise level requirements. In 2021, the N163/5.X won the gold medal for “Turbine of the Year” in the category of onshore turbines with a 4.7 MW + rating, awarded by Windpower Monthly.
The N163/5.X
THE N163/5.X
…from the Delta4000 Series
The optimal solution for Brazilian wind conditions