Wobben plans to grow, with eye on wind power growth
DCI
In 1995, the town of Sorocaba (100 km from São Paulo) saw arise a plant for components with more than 40 meters of length. They were the first blades for wind power generation plants produced in Brazil, a novelty in the Country, since at that time there wasn't a single company of the sector around here. The scenario has changed in fifteen years, and, according to the calculations of the Brazilian Wind Energy Association (Abeeólica), the estimate is that the sector achieved sales of more than R$ 640 million (US$ 363.6 million) last year and it may get to nearly R$ 3 billion (US$ 1.8 billion) in 2014 only with the projects approved so far. The pioneer in the market was Wobben Enercon, a subsidiary of the German Enercon that has installed in the interior of São Paulo and currently looks to the future with optimism, and it evaluates that, if there is demand, it may double its productive capacity in Brazil.
The positive scenario for the wind energy, says the Commercial Officer of the company, Eduardo Lopes, started only in 2008, with the first auction exclusively for the generation of wind energy. Until then, reminds the Executive, the market experienced sporadic actions, such as those seen in the late 90's promoted by Governments of the States of Paraná and Ceará, and the shy start of the Proinfa (Program of Incentive to Alternative Sources). The first initiatives were those of the States mentioned. At that time, the wind farms contracted hardly exceeded an installed capacity of 30 MW. Today, it features a portfolio of projects already contracted that will get to 1 GW by 2012.
"The first wind farms in Brazil were those of Prainha and Taíba, in Ceará, with a total of 15 MW installed, and that of Palmas, in Parana, with 2.5 MW", he said. "That number was not enough for the survival of the company, which since 2002 had, with the Proinfa, the policy to leverage the businesses, and those plants worked as showcase for our company", he concluded. Until then, Wobben spent its early years producing only blades that were exported mainly to Europe. Today, the company celebrates the numbers it presents. Of nearly 1.4 GW installed in Brazil, 40% of the wind generators were made in its facilities. Among the clients of the company are major players of the electricity sector, such as EDP, CPFL, Copel, Eletrosul, Petrobras and Tractebel. The growth of the businesses to the current level was possible as a result of auctions of wind energy promoted by the Government. Nearly 60% of the deals of Wobben in Brazil are concentrated in only three events held since 2008.