The Chinese are entering the Brazilian wind energy market, with recent announcements including confirmation that a Desenvix project would buy turbines from Sinovel, with financing from the China Development Bank.

However, it's not all a one way street. Brazil's Electrobras Furnas (a subsidiary of Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras S.A., or Eletrobras), an electricity generation and transmission company, is entering the Chinese wind energy market. Furnas will participate in three wind projects in China alongside Three Gorges Corporation. The projects, all in the south of China, include two onshore projects of 50 MW and a third offshore project, of 200 MW in size. The offshore project, at a depth of 9 metres, will use a new technology, which will also be trialled in Brazil.

The agreement between the Chinese company and Furnas (which, like Three Gorges, has extensive hydro operations) also includes the joint development of projects in Brazil. Furnas President, Flávio Decat, confirmed recently that the Chinese State Grid may enter into a partnership with the Brazilian company to participate in the A-3 and A-5 energy auctions, scheduled for March and April this year (Brazil’s A-3 auction takes place on 22 March and will be open for hydro, wind, biomass and natural gas energy). The companies have worked together on the construction of two substations in Goiás last year.

Furnas is undertaking a study into the possibility of installing offshore wind turbines at its hydroelectric reservoirs, in partnership with universities. According to Decat, this energy would be sold on Brazil’s ‘mercado livre’, or free energy market.