journal article·2025-05-19Open access

Advances, Progress, and Future Directions of Renewable Wind Energy in Brazil (2000–2025–2050)

Carlos Cacciuttolo, Martin Navarrete, Deyvis Cano

Applied Sciences· Volume 15· Issue 10

Abstract

Brazil has emerged as one of the global leaders in adopting renewable energy, standing out in the implementation of onshore wind energy and, more recently, in the development of future offshore wind energy projects. Onshore wind energy has experienced exponential growth in the last decade, positioning Brazil as one of the countries with the largest installed capacity in the world by 2023, with 30 GW. Wind farms are mainly concentrated in the northeast region, where winds are constant and powerful, enabling efficient and cost-competitive generation. Although in its early stages, offshore wind energy presents significant potential of 1228 GW due to Brazil’s extensive coastline, which exceeds 7000 km. Offshore wind projects promise greater generating capacity and stability, as offshore winds are more constant than onshore winds. However, their development faces challenges such as high initial costs, environmental impacts on marine ecosystems, and the need for specialized infrastructure. From a sustainability perspective, this article discusses that both types of wind energy are key to Brazil’s energy transition. They reduce dependence on fossil fuels, generate green jobs, and foster technological innovation. However, it is crucial to implement policies that foster synergy with green hydrogen production and minimize socio-environmental impacts, such as impacts on local communities and biodiversity. Finally, the article concludes that by 2050, Brazil is expected to consolidate its leadership in renewable energy by integrating advanced technologies, such as larger, more efficient turbines, energy storage systems, and green hydrogen production. The combination of onshore and offshore wind energy and other renewable sources could position the country as a global model for a clean, sustainable, and resilient energy mix.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy · Wind Energy Research and Development · Photovoltaic Systems and Sustainability

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Civil Works and Geology, Catholic University of Temuco, Temuco 4780000, Chile

Department of Civil Engineering, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Av. Camilo Jose Cela s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain

Postgraduate Program in Remote Sensing, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil

Academic Program of Environmental Engineering, Universidad de Huánuco, Huánuco 10001, Peru

Funding

Department of Catholic University of Temuco, Chile

References (54)

Show source-provided references
1. Barthelmie, R.J., and Pryor, S.C. (2021). Climate change mitigation potential of wind energy. Climate, 9.10.3390/cli9090136 ↗
2. Borowski, P.F. (2022). Mitigating Climate Change and the Development of Green Energy versus a Return to Fossil Fuels Due to the Energy Crisis in 2022. Energies, 15.10.3390/en15249289 ↗
3. Solé, J. (2023). Climate and Energy Crises from the Perspective of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Trade-Offs between Systemic Transition and Societal Collapse?. Sustainability, 15.10.3390/su15032231 ↗
4. Estimating the impact of climate change on wind and solar energy in Brazil using a South American regional climate model10.1016/j.renene.2019.03.086 ↗
5. Wind energy in Brazil: Current overview and projections on power generation
6. Wind energy in Brazil: From the power sector’s expansion crisis model to the favorable environment10.1016/j.rser.2012.12.054 ↗
7. The impact of wind power on the Brazilian labor market10.1016/j.rser.2020.109887 ↗
8. Perception of the socio-environmental impacts caused by wind generators in the state of Piauí, Northeast of Brazil
9. Environmental impacts of offshore wind installation, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning activities: A case study of Brazil10.1016/j.rser.2021.110994 ↗
10. One size doesn’t fit all: Singularities in bat species richness and activity patterns in wind-energy complexes in Brazil and implications for environmental assessment10.1590/s1984-4689.v39.e21041 ↗
11. Consolidation of the wind energy sector in the Brazilian electricity matrix: Opportunities, advantages and challenges10.1504/IJISD.2019.100424 ↗
12. Integration of renewable energies using the surplus capacity of wind farms to generate H2 and electricity in Brazil and in the Rio Grande do Sul state: Energy planning and avoided emissions within a circular economy10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.06.226 ↗
13. Political strategies in energy transitions: Exploring power dynamics, repertories of interest groups and wind energy pathways in Brazil10.1016/j.erss.2021.102076 ↗
14. The impacts of global climate changes on the wind power density in Brazil10.1016/j.renene.2012.01.053 ↗
15. Overcoming barriers to onshore wind farm implementation in Brazil10.1016/j.enpol.2019.111165 ↗
16. Spatial planning for wind farms: Perspectives of a coastal area in southern Brazil10.1007/s10098-018-1494-6 ↗
17. Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) (2025, March 24). GWEC—Global Wind Report 2023. Available online: https://sawea.org.za/sites/default/files/content-files/Market%20Reports/GWEC-2023_interactive.pdf.
18. Economic analysis for implantation of an offshore wind farm in the Brazilian coast
19. The potential and economic viability of hydrogen production from the use of hydroelectric and wind farms surplus energy in Brazil: A national and pioneering analysis10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.08.199 ↗
20. Bhatt, U.S., Carreras, B.A., Barredo, J.M.R., Newman, D.E., Collet, P., and Gomila, D. (2022). The Potential Impact of Climate Change on the Efficiency and Reliability of Solar, Hydro, and Wind Energy Sources. Land, 11.10.3390/land11081275 ↗
21. Investors’ asymmetric views and their decision to enter Brazil’s wind energy sector10.1590/0101-7438.2014.034.02.0319 ↗
22. Changes in bird species composition after a wind farm installation: A case study in South America10.1016/j.eiar.2020.106387 ↗
23. Blown in the wind: Bats and wind farms in Brazil10.1016/j.ncon.2014.08.005 ↗
24. Camargo, O., Brower, M., and Leite, A. (2025, March 24). Wind Potential Atlas of Brazil. Available online: https://www.ctc-n.org/resources/wind-energy-atlas-brazil.
25. Badger, J., Hahmann, A., Larsén, X.G., Badger, M., Kelly, M., Olsen, B.T., and Mortensen, N.G. (2025, March 24). The Global Wind Atlas: An EUDP Project Carried Out by DTU Wind Energy. Available online: https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/portalfiles/portal/238494910/GWA_64011_0347_FinalReport.pdf.
26. An innovative two-stage machine learning-based adaptive robust unit commitment strategy for addressing uncertainty in renewable energy systems10.1016/j.ijepes.2024.110087 ↗
27. World Bank Group and ESMAP (2024). Offshore Wind Development Program—Scenarios for Offshore Wind Development in Brazil, World Bank Group and ESMAP. Available online: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo.10.1596/41911 ↗
28. ESMAP (2025, March 24). Going Global—Expanding Offshore Wind to Emerging Markets. Available online: https://esmap.org/offshore-wind.
29. Offshore wind potential in Northern Ireland using GIS multi-criteria assessment10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.124764 ↗
30. Exact optimization of inter-array dynamic cable networks for Floating Offshore Wind Farms10.1016/j.renene.2024.121647 ↗
31. The present and future of offshore wind in Spain: An analysis of discourses10.1016/j.renene.2025.123192 ↗
32. Pierrot, M. (2025, March 24). The Wind Power. 22 January 2025. Available online: https://www.thewindpower.net/.
33. Abeeólica (2025, March 24). Anual Report Onshore and Offshore Wind Energy 2023. Available online: https://wwindea.org/AnnualReport2023.
34. de Medeiros Galvão, M.L., dos Santos, M.A., da Silva, N.F., and da Silva, V.P. (2020). Connections between wind energy, poverty and social sustainability in Brazil’s semiarid. Sustainability, 12.10.3390/su12030864 ↗
35. Barriers to onshore wind energy implementation: A systematic review10.1016/j.erss.2019.101337 ↗
36. Considerations on environmental, economic, and energy impacts of wind energy generation: Projections towards sustainability initiatives10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157755 ↗
37. Economic and environmental factors of wind energy deployment in the United States10.1016/j.ref.2023.03.004 ↗
38. A review on global wind energy policy10.1016/j.rser.2010.03.007 ↗
39. Renewable and non-renewable energy-growth-emissions linkages: Review of emerging trends with policy implications10.1016/j.rser.2016.11.178 ↗
40. Barriers to onshore wind farm implementation in Brazil10.1016/j.enpol.2018.12.062 ↗
41. Kasner, R., Kruszelnicka, W., Bałdowska-Witos, P., Flizikowski, J., and Tomporowski, A. (2020). Sustainable wind power plant modernization. Energies, 13.10.3390/en13061461 ↗
42. Cacciuttolo, C., Navarrete, M., and Atencio, E. (2024). Renewable Wind Energy Implementation in South America: A Comprehensive Review and Sustainable Prospects. Sustainability, 16.10.3390/su16146082 ↗
43. Aldieri, L., Grafström, J., Sundström, K., and Vinci, C.P. (2020). Wind power and job creation. Sustainability, 12.10.3390/su12010045 ↗
44. Artigao, E., Vigueras-Rodríguez, A., Honrubia-Escribano, A., Martín-Martínez, S., and Gómez-Lázaro, E. (2021). Wind resource and wind power generation assessment for education in engineering. Sustainability, 13.10.3390/su13052444 ↗
45. Murgas, B., Henao, A., and Guzman, L. (2021). Evaluation of investments in wind energy projects, under uncertainty. State of the art review. Appl. Sci., 11.10.3390/app112110213 ↗
46. Wind Power: An Important Source in Energy Systems10.3390/wind1010006 ↗
47. Zhang, X., Wang, D., Liu, Y., and Yi, H. (2016). Wind power development in China: An assessment of provincial policies. Sustainability, 8.10.3390/su8080734 ↗
48. Peyerl, D., Barbosa, M.O., Ciotta, M., Pelissari, M.R., and Moretto, E.M. (2022). Linkages between the Promotion of Renewable Energy Policies and Low-Carbon Transition Trends in South America’s Electricity Sector. Energies, 15.10.3390/en15124293 ↗
49. De Azevedo, S.S.P., Pereira, A.O., Da Silva, N.F., De Araújo, R.S.B., and Júnior, A.A.C. (2020). Assessment of offshore wind power Potential along the Brazilian coast. Energies, 13.10.3390/en13102557 ↗
50. Martins, P.H.D.S., Serrano, A.L.M., Rodrigues, G.A.P., Vergara, G.F., Saiki, G.M., Borges, R.V., Bispo, G.D., Peixoto, M.G., and Gonçalves, V.P. (2024). P. Brazil’s New Green Hydrogen Industry: An Assessment of Its Macroeconomic Viability Through an Input–Output Approach. Economies., 12.10.3390/economies12120333 ↗
51. Barros Souza Riedel, A.B., Feitosa Riedel, V., Souza Filho, H.N.d., da Silva, E.P., Marques Cabral, R., de Brito Silva, L., and de Castro Pereira, A. (2024). Technical–Economic Analysis of Renewable Hydrogen Production from Solar Photovoltaic and Hydro Synergy in a Pilot Plant in Brazil. Energies, 17.10.3390/en17174521 ↗
52. Barbosa, L.T., Vasconcelos, S.D., Rosas, P.A.C., Castro, J.F.C., and Barbosa, D.C.P. (2024). Assessment of Green Hydrogen as Energy Supply Alternative for Isolated Power Systems and Microgrids. Energies, 17.10.20944/preprints202409.0856.v1 ↗
53. Alcantara, M.L., Santana, J.C.C., Nascimento, C.A.O., and Ribeiro, C.O. (2025). Application of Levelized and Environmental Cost Accounting Techniques to Demonstrate the Feasibility of Green Hydrogen-Powered Buses in Brazil. Hydrogen, 6, Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4141/6/1/10.10.3390/hydrogen6010010 ↗
54. Santana, J.C.C., Machado, P.G., Nascimento, C.A.O.d., and Ribeiro, C.d.O. (2023). Economic and Environmental Assessment of Hydrogen Production from Brazilian Energy Grid. Energies, 16.10.3390/en16093769 ↗