Rio Grande Do Norte Inks Deal With Enterprize Energy to Construct Offshore Wind, Green Ammonia and Green Hydrogen Projects

The state of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil has inked an agreement with Enterprize Energy, a low-carbon energy producer, to identify and construct offshore wind, green hydrogen, and green ammonia projects off the country's northern coast.

The Governor of Rio Grande do Norte, Ms Fatima Bezerra, and Secretaries for Infrastructure and Economic Development attended the signing event at the Administrative Center of the Rio Grande do Norte State Government.

The company will identify and develop potential multi-gigawatt offshore wind projects, as well as assess potential environmental and socio-economic impacts and benefits, as well as the economic viability of co-developed desalination and green hydrogen production hubs for both local distribution and export to global markets, as part of the partnership.

Throughout the development, construction, and operational phases of the projects, Enterprize Energy will consult and involve local businesses, academic institutions, and local and federal governments to plan for supply chain, infrastructure, and human resource requirements.

The company will collaborate with a variety of stakeholders to encourage industrial decarbonization, as well as participate in the planning of projected new port facilities in Rio Grande do Norte to support offshore energy development.

According to a recent assessment from the Energy Research Office (EPE), the whole Brazilian coastline could support 700 GW of offshore wind capacity.

”The north-eastern coastline of Brazil holds great potential. We are collaborating with businesses, local government and universities in Rio Grande do Norte in a bid to identify and develop sites for offshore green energy projects that will substantially benefit local communities,” said Ian Hatton, Chairman of Enterprize Energy.

He continued, “In addition to offshore wind’s capacity to decarbonise energy supply, advances in wind-driven electrolysis should enable Rio Grande do Norte to become a centre for green, zero-carbon hydrogen and ammonia production in South America.”

“These ‘renewable gases’ will be instrumental for use in not only the domestic agrichemical, industrial and maritime sectors, but also for international export.”

According to Enterprize Energy, the state of Rio Grande do Norte is now the leading Brazilian state in terms of renewable energy development, with almost two-thirds of its energy generation coming from renewable sources.

As droughts become longer and more common in Brazil, and concerns about hydropower's environmental implications grow, many Brazilian governments are looking into new energy systems that might take advantage of the abundant wind resource off the country's coast.