10/17/2008 15h01
Bioenergy and Proventos start study of the São Paulo Aeolian atlas
Valor Econômico - 10/17/2008
Bioenergy, a national company of energy generation, and Proventos, a consulting company specialized in studies for the measuring of winds, started the study of the Aeolian atlas of the State of São Paulo this month. The companies were the winner of the public tender held by the state government and will have 24 months to deliver a complete map of the potential for Aeolian energy generation. In total, R$ 1.3 million (US$ 591 million) will be invested. The government of the state of São Paulo is on alert for the investments that the Aeolian energy should bring to the country. Large multinational companies are already looking for partnerships in projects, as it is the case of Energias do Brasil, AES and Suez, and the Federal Government is studying the feasibility of an exclusive auction for the purchase of Aeolian energy next year. With the public tenders it is possible for the companies to guarantee a fixed income and make the investments. Even in the traditional new energy auctions, entrepreneurs have already registered nearly 50 projects to show the generation potential. Engineer Alexandre de Lemos Pereira, Ph.D. in Aeolian energy, from Proventos, says that São Paulo was part of the Brazilian Aeolian atlas made in the beginning of the decade. But according to Pereira, the available technology did not allow making a high resolution map as the one which will be made now. In this case, high resolution is to show the wind potential at every 200 meters, with coverage of the whole territory. In the first stage of the study, all types of meteorological, geographical and climatic history data, among others, will be collected. Those data will be taken to Denmark to be processed in super-computers, which are already prepared to process this type of information. According to Pereira, Denmark was chosen because it is a pioneer in Aeolian studies. Using that, a wind map, with a resolution of five kilometers, is made. Based on that information, engineers will choose places for the installation of seven measurement towers. Two 100-meter ones, and the five others will be 75-meter high. The tower is filled with sensors, at every height, in order to properly measure the winds. Bioenergy's president, Sérgio Marques, says that a report will be made showing not only the places with greatest potential, but also those with less environmental restrictions. The ones which are not in Atlantic Forest region, for example.
