Investors sought for seven wind plants in Brazil

Germany's Eternegy GmbH is seeking investors to participate in the construction of seven wind plant in Brazil over the next 24 months totalling 170 MW. The firm, a subsidiary of project developer MVV Energie AG, has three projects in Rio Grande do Sul and four in Rio Grande do Norte. Like MVV, Eternegy is a developer but not builder of projects, says the company's J Dietrich Mayer. "We will sell the projects to investors and offer the technical management of the wind farm operation as well as the technical supervision of the construction to the customer," he continues. "For the first projects we will not offer the turnkey installation like we do in Europe as our local network in Brazil is not mature enough." Two of the proposed projects in Rio Grande do Sul have full environmental licensing as well as construction authorisation from electric power regulator Aneel, while a third is awaiting final environmental licensing. The projects in Rio Grande do Norte do not yet have any licenses. Eternegy's plants are not currently listed in the Brazilian government's subsidised renewable energy program, Proinfa (Windpower Monthly, October 2004), but the company believes it may yet qualify for a Proinfa contract for one of the projects in Rio Grande do Sul. It is proceeding with the other projects on the basis of securing power purchase agreements through Proinfa or directly with utilities in Brazil, Mayer says.