Brazil to hit 9 GW of wind power by 2016

Brazil will reach 9 GW of total installed wind power capacity by the end of the year, according the nation’s Wind Energy Association (Abeeolica).

Total wind power capacity in Brazil currently stands at just over 7 GW across 281 wind farms covering 11 states.

Wind power makes up about 5 per cent of the country’s energy mix and Abeeolica has estimated that wind power capacity in Brazil will reach 23 GW by 2023.

Abeeolica said that by the end of 2015, investments in the wind energy sector will total US$2.1bn (£1.38bn) and will have created over 19,000 jobs.

The Minister of Mines and Energy, Eduardo Braga, said that wind power in Brazil could cover 11 per cent of the country’s energy needs in the next few years.

In 2015 the wind sector is expecting to install a total of 113 new wind farms with a total capacity of 2.7 GW.