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Rio de Janeiro - The capacity of wind power
generation in Brazil increased 77.7% in 2009
compared to the previous year.
Thus, the country now has an installed capacity of
606 megawatts (MW), against 341 MW in 2008.
The data, released today (3/02) by the Global Wind
Energy (GWEC), shows that Brazil has grown more than
twice the world average: 31%.
The Brazilian growth was higher, for example, than
the United States', which had an increase of 39%,
India's (13%) and Europe's (16%), but lower than
China's, with a generating capacity expanded
to 107%.
Brazil also grew less than the average in Latin
America, which grew by 95%, driven largely by the
capacity expansions in Mexico (137%), Chile (740%),
Costa Rica (67%)
and Nicaragua (which went from zero to 40 MW).
According to the research, capacity in Latin America
increased from 653 MW to 1.27 GW (1270 MW),
while the capacity of the world widened to 37.5 GW,
up to 157.9 GW.
In absolute terms, the United States has a capacity
of 35 GW, China of 25 GW, India, 11 GW, and Europe,
76 GW.
Brazil accounts for about half the installed
capacity in Latin America, but represents only 0.38%
of the world.
For executive director of the Brazilian Association
of Wind Energy (ABEEólica), Pedro Perrelli, the
development of the wind farm in the country is not
even larger because Brazil has a lot of installed
hydropower capacity and potential.
He said that despite this, Brazil still has much
ground to grow in power.
"Wind energy is important, because it is
complementary to the hydraulic potential.
Partly because it does not consume water, which is
increasingly becoming scarce and will become
increasingly controlled", Perrelli said.
According to ABEEólica, the installed capacity of
wind power in Brazil should grow even more in the
coming years.
This is because an auction last year sold 1805 MW,
to be delivered by 2012.
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